ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF baseball dropped the opening game of its weekend series against Auburn Friday night, 4-1. Neither side was able to do much offensively, as the pitching staff held each club to just five hits apiece.
UCF pitcher Grant Schuermann went six innings for the Black and Gold in his second start of the year. The southpaw fanned a pair and gave up just three hits and a trio of runs, two of them earned. Schuermann was saddled with the loss despite a trio of 1-2-3 innings.
The Tiger jumped out to a 3-0 lead through four innings. Third baseman Julien Edouard gave the visitors a 2-0 advantage on a home run to left center in the second. Auburn added to its advantage in the fourth with an RBI double from Ryan Bliss.
The Knights bounced back in the bottom of the sixth. Matthew Mika drove a two-out single to left field, before advancing to third on a single to center by Chandler Robertson. In the next at-bat, Griffin Bernardo put the Knights on the board on a single to left center.
UCF had its chances to put runs across. The Black and Gold left nine runners on base, including the bases loaded at the end of the first and the eighth. Auburn took advantage of UCF miscues, as three of the four runs reached on a walk or an error.
UCF – 1, #15 Auburn – 4
Winning pitcher: Tanner Burns (1-0)
Losing pitcher: Grant Schuermann (0-1)
Top hitters: Matthew Mika (2-3, 1 R), Griffin Bernardo (1-3, 1 RBI)
Top pitchers: Grant Schuermann (6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 K), Jack Sinclair (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K)
NOTES
• The Knights are now 1-6 all-time against Auburn.
• Chandler Robertson extended his hitting streak to a career-long five games.
• Robertson is now hitting a team-high .438.
• Matthew Mika notched his second multi-hit game of the year. It was his 34th two-hit game and 47th multi-hit game of his career.
• Bernardo’s RBI was his third on the year.
• Jack Sinclair now has six strikeouts this season, tying him for the team lead out of the bullpen.
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