STORRS, Conn. (UCFKnights.com) – On a cold and windy afternoon in Connecticut, the No. 22 UCF baseball team rallied from a four-run deficit in the ninth inning to beat UConn 10-8 on Saturday at J.O. Christian Field.
The Knights scored four runs in the ninth inning and plated a pair of runs in the 11th to win their second extra-inning game of the year.
"We probably played the worst baseball we could play in the first five innings with five errors and seven walks," head coach Greg Lovelady said. "The guys kept playing. They got used to the elements and didn't give up. The bullpen did a great job. Those last six innings, we did a much better job of putting together good at-bats. We were able to put some runs together and make that comeback. We did a great job of getting the next guy up. Then, Thad and Tuck did an awesome job of shutting them down at the end. This isn't an easy place to play, so I'm proud of the guys for continuing to fight."
The Knights trailed 8-4 heading into the ninth when Logan Heiser took a pitch off the arm to start the frame. After back-to-back singles from Brandon Hernandez and Chandler Robertson to load the bases, Matthew Mika laced a single up the middle to plate a pair of runs and halve the deficit. Tyler Osik was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in another run, before Mika broke for home on a wild pitch to tie the game.
While Thad Ward and Bryce Tucker combined to shut the Huskies down offensively in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings, the Black and Gold took the lead with a pair of runs on three hits. Mika gave the Knights a one-run advantage on a slow ground out to second base with Ray Alejo on third. Two batters later, Osik tacked on an insurance run with a single to right that brought in Hernandez.
Earlier in the game, UCF took an early 2-0 lead through the top of the second, but UConn rallied with six straight runs, three of which were unearned. Rylan Thomas and Dallas Beaver pulled a pair of runs back in the sixth with RBI singles, before the Huskies retook a four-run advantage with a home run from Troy Stefanski in the bottom half of the frame.
KEY STATS
No. 22 UCF (22-9, 4-3) – 10, UConn (15-10, 1-3) – 8
Winning pitcher: Thad Ward (4-2)
Losing pitcher: P.J. Poulin (0-2)
Save: Bryce Tucker (4)
Top performers: Ray Alejo (4-6, 2 R), Matthew Mika (2-6, 3 RBI), Thad Ward (2.1 IP, 2 K, 0 ER, 2 BB), Bryce Tucker (0.2 IP, 2 K, 0 R)
WARD FOR THE WIN
• After tying the game in the ninth, Lovelady turned to Ward for the next 2 1/3 innings.
• The tall righty induced an inning-ending groundout with two runners in scoring position in the ninth.
• Ward retired UConn in order in the 10th, before he made his exit in the 11th with two runners in scoring position and one out.
• With the win, the junior moved to 4-2 on the year.
SPEEDSTERS SMASH
• Mika, Hernandez and Alejo, the top three base stealers for UCF, combined for seven runs on Saturday.
• Mika matched his career high with three RBI, a feat he has accomplished six times.
• Alejo topped his previous career high in hits with a quartet of base knocks.
• Hernandez notched his seventh multi-hit game of the year and scored three times.
NOTABLES
• The Knights trail UConn in the all-time series 9-7.
• UCF has scored at least 10 runs in seven games this season.
• Starting pitcher Joe Sheridan went four innings with a pair of strikeouts. The southpaw gave up one earned run.
• The Black and Gold committed five errors, the most since April 6, 2012.
• Luis Ferrer tossed a season-long two scoreless innings.
• Tucker recorded the 13th save of his career, giving him sole position of sixth in program history.
• Thomas brought in the 90th RBI of his career and extended his on-base streak to 39 games.
• UCF is 2-0 this season in extra-inning contests and 4-2 in the Lovelady era.
UP NEXT
Due to the length of the series opener, Lovelady and UConn coach Jim Pembers agreed to play a doubleheader on Sunday morning. The second game of the series will be a seven-inning contest that will start at 8:30 a.m. The series finale will be a nine innings and begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
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