TAMPA, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - This weekend's War On I-4 series will head to a rubber match on Sunday afternoon, after the UCF baseball team fell on Saturday night at USF 5-4.
Following a two-hour weather delay prior to the game, the Knights nearly overcame a multiple-run deficit on a pair of occasions, but could not tie the contest up in the ninth, leaving the game-tying run at third.
UCF starting pitcher Chris Williams dealt another strong outing for the Black and Gold. The redshirt junior fanned six over 6 2/3 innings of action, but he took his fifth no-decision of the year. Williams rolled through the opening two frames, but hit a bump in the third when the hosts plated a trio of runs on three hits. The righty bounced back to allow just two hits in his final 3 2/3 innings.
The Knights erased the 3-0 deficit in the fifth. With two on and no outs, Jackson Webb singled to left to bring in Griffin Bernardo from second. Dallas Beaver brought in Max Wood two batters later on a base knock up the middle. Brandon Hernandez showed off his wheels, scoring from second on an infield single by Rylan Thomas.
USF regained the lead in the seventh with a two-run home run to right field, but the Knights continued to battle back. With two outs in the top of the eighth, Tyler Osik sent an 0-1 offering skyward in the infield, only for the USF first baseman to deflect the ball into foul territory. Ray Alejo seized on the error and flew around bases from first to cut the deficit to one.
The comeback was nearly completed an inning later, when Webb drew a one-out walk. Beaver then singled to right to move Webb over to third, but the Knights left the tying run 90 feet from home.
KEY STATS
UCF (27-17, 7-7) - 4, USF (25-14, 8-6) - 5
Winning pitcher: Kevin King (4-1)
Losing pitcher: Eric Hepple (1-2)
Top performers: Chris Williams (6.2 IP, 6 K, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER), Rylan Thomas (2-4, 1 RBI), Jackson Webb (2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB), Dallas Beaver (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB)
NOTABLES
* The loss snapped a four-game winning streak against USF.
* When USF scored in the third inning, it was the first runs the Knights had given up to the Bulls in 22 innings of play, dating back to May 20, 2017.
* Thomas extended his on-base streak to 48 games.
* UCF leads the War On I-4 series, 44-23.
* Williams topped 100 pitches for the fifth time this season, finishing with 105.
* Webb extended his on-base streak to eight games.
UP NEXT
JJ Montgomery will toe the rubber for the War On I-4 series finale at 1 p.m. Collin Sullivan will get the ball for the Bulls.
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