TAMPA, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The No. 27 UCF baseball team dropped a heart breaker in the War On I-4 Saturday. What might have been a game-winning double play in the bottom of the ninth, became a walk-off win for rival USF.
After a walk and an infield hit put two runners on for the Bulls in the bottom of the ninth, a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. Leading 5-4 with one out, the Knights issued an intentional walk, loading the bases and putting the double play back in effect.
The next batter hit a slow developing chop to short stop Brennan Bozeman, who fired the ball to second for out number two. With little time to make the relay to first, second baseman Matthew Mika made a single motion, turned and fired across his body, but the throw came up short. First Baseman Rylan Thomas was unable to scoop it from the dirt, and the ball jumped into the air behind first base.
USF capitalized on the mistake, as the runner from second continued home to score the winning run.
Early in the game it was the Bulls who struck first, after back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. A sacrifice fly to center field brought in the game's first run before a ground ball to second would end the inning.
The Knights evened things up in the fourth, when center fielder Luke Hamblin led off by launching one over the fence in right center. The solo shot came on a 1-2 count and was his first home run of the season.
Then there were fireworks in the fifth, as UCF took a 4-1 lead in the top half of the inning.
Second baseman Matthew Mika drew a four pitch walk and moved to second on a ball in the dirt. Mika scampered to third when ball four to outfielder Bryce Peterson skipped away from the Bulls catcher. Short stop Brennan Bozeman then singled to right, scoring the Knights first run of the inning.
With runners on first and second and nobody out, third baseman Kam Gellinger layed down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners, before right fielder Eli Putnam brought in another run when he grounded out to short. Hamblin added one more, with a clutch two-out double to left center before the Bulls could tally the third out.
USF fought right back in the bottom half of the fifth, after three-straight hits made it 4-2. With runners on first and third and nobody out, a sacrifice fly to center brought the Bulls within one.
Both team's added one more run in the eighth, setting up the dramatic two-run situation in the ninth.
Sunday's series finale is set for 2 p.m. at the USF Baseball Stadium. Tune in and listen at iHeart Radio and FM 96.9 The Game or click here to follow along via live stats.
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