ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - Powered by two six-run innings, the UCF baseball team completed its sweep of Savannah State on Sunday with a decisive 15-4 win. The No. 24 Knights offense exploded with a season-high 14 hits and 13 RBI, with eight different players driving in a run.
"We took care of business today," head coach Greg Lovelady said. "That's something you need to do when you have a chance to sweep. When you look back at the end of the year, you have to make sure you don't throw away these types of games. I was proud of the guys offensively. We took a much larger step forward. One through nine, we got a lot better at-bats. We had a lot of crooked numbers, and that was awesome to see."
The Knights (4-3) wasted little time jumping into the lead. After scoring one run in the first, UCF eruptedfor six runs on four hits in the second. Logan Heiser doubled down the left field line to score Brody Wofford. Heiser and Brandon Hernandez later scored on an error to put the Knights up by four. On the next at-bat, Ray Alejo dropped a sacrifice bunt to plate Chandler Robertson from third. Tyler Osik added to the advantage on an RBI single to right with two outs. The junior later stole second and forced an errant throw to the outfield, which allowed Dallas Beaver to mosey home from third.
UCF's shutout streak came to an end after 26 innings when the Tigers (2-5) scored on a wild pitch in the fourth. Savannah State managed to cut the lead to 8-4 in the fifth, but it was all UCF from there. The Knights tacked on six more runs in the fifth. Alejo, Rylan Thomas and Beaver drove in four runs on back-to-back-to-back hits. Matthew Mika plated Beaver from secondon a ground rule double, before Logan Heiser took a pitch off the arm with the bases loaded to make it 14-4.
KEY STATS
No. 24 UCF (4-3) - 15, Savannah State (2-5) - 4
Winning pitcher: Jordan Spicer (1-0)
Losing pitcher: Caleb Hill (1-1)
Top performers: Matthew Mika (4-4, 2 RBI, 3 SB), Ray Alejo (2-3, 3 RBI, 2 2B), Logan Heiser (2-3, 2 RBI, 1 SB), Rylan Thomas (2-4, 2 RBI, 1 2B)
THE MIDDLE MASHES
* Thomas, Beaver, Osik and Mika accounted for eight of the Knights' 14 hits.
* Mika matched his career high with four base knocks and three stolen bases.
* Beaver drove in a run and scored twice.
* Osik chipped in with an RBI base hit.
* Thomas extended his on-base streak to 15 games dating back to last year.
Hey @matthew_mika, how much fun were you having today? pic.twitter.com/c8h8sIaEwH-- UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) February 25, 2018
Alright Ray!
2-RBI double makes it a 10-4 lead in the fifth ??#ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/RUgplYtoeM-- UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) February 25, 2018
DOUBLE DAYS
* The Knights ripped seven doubles on Sunday, led by Alejo with a career-high two - tied for eighth most in a game in program history.
* The seven doubles were the most since April 10, 2012, against Florida A&M with eight.
* UCF scored six runs on doubles.
* Jackson Webb's first career hit was a double in the eighth.
WEEKEND RECAP
* UCF stole six bases on Sunday to take their weekend total to a perfect 16-for-16.
* Thomas hit a whopping .636 (7-for-11) with three RBI over the weekend.
* Seven players hit above .300 against Savannah State.
* The Knights pitching staff surrendered just four runs on the weekend for a 1.33 ERA.
* All three starting pitchers picked up a win for the Black and Gold.
* Defensively, UCF committed just one error.
* Jeffrey Hakanson, Garrett Westberg, Adams Torres and David Phrathep made their season debuts for the Knights.
UP NEXT
UCF will travel to Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday night for a 6 p.m. first pitch. The Knights will turn to JJ Montgomery for his first career start.
DON'T MISS THE ACTION
Season and single-game tickets for UCF Baseball are on sale. Featuring a 36-game home schedule, John Euliano Park is set to host some of the best collegiate baseball in the country. For more information on tickets call 407-823-1000 or log on to ticketmaster.com.
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