ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – In a game that featured seven home runs, 26 hits and 22 runs, the UCF baseball team dropped the rubber match of its weekend series against No. 15 Auburn on Sunday afternoon at John Euliano Park, 13-9.
The top of the order was the most productive for the Black and Gold. Ray Alejo, Dallas Beaver and Tyler Osik each drove in a pair of runs.
Beaver went 2-for-3 at the dish with a career-high two home runs, two RBI and three runs scored. The junior also added a walk and a hit by pitch. Osik easily had his best game of the season, a 3-for-5 performance with two RBI and a run scored. Alejo went yard for the second time this season.
Offensively, the Knights hit .667 with runners in scoring position and went 2-for-2 with runners on third and less than two outs.
The fireworks started early, as the two clubs combined for 17 runs through four innings. Beaver opened a career day at the plate with a solo home run to right center, but the Tigers fired back with a three-run second.
Momentum quickly shifted back in favor of the Black and Gold in the bottom of the second. Dalton Wingo drove in Griffin Bernardo on a single through the right side. He later stole second, only for the throw to sail into center field, allowing Jordan Rathbone to come in from third. Later in the frame, Alejo launched a homer to left field to give the Knights a 5-3 advantage.
Auburn tied the game up in the ensuing inning when right fielder Steven Williams hit a two-run homer to right. Brandon Hernandez sent UCF back into the lead in the bottom half. The senior singled up the middle to drive in Bernardo from second.
A stroke of tough luck hit the Knights in the top of the fourth. Due to an injury to reliever Zach Helsel, Jack Sinclair was forced to take the mound straight from the dugout, and the Tigers took advantage, scoring four runs on four hits to take a 9-6 lead.
UCF battled back to cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the fourth, when Osik launched his first homer of the year on the first pitch of his at-bat, a two-run shot.
After the Tigers extended their lead to 11-8, Beaver pulled one back with his second solo shot of the game, this time to left center.
UCF (5-2) – 9, #15 Auburn (6-2) – 13
Winning pitcher: Carson Skipper (2-0)
Losing pitcher: Jack Sinclair (1-1)
Top pitchers: Jeffrey Hakanson (1.1 IP, 4 K, 0 H, 1 BB)
Top hitters: Dallas Beaver (2-3, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 HR), Tyler Osik (3-5, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR), Dalton Wingo (2-3, 1 RBI, 1 R)
NOTES
• UCF is now 7-2 all-time against Auburn.
• The Knights struck out a season-low three times, the fewest since April 18, 2018, against Bethune-Cookman.
• Jeffrey Hakanson struck out four batters, matching his career high.
• UCF stranded just six runners compared to the 11 for Auburn.
• The Black and Gold was 2-for-2 on stealing bases with Wingo and Brandon Hernandez notching their second and first swipes of the year, respectively.
• The Knights totaled five extra base hits. Griffin Bernardo recorded his team-high third double of the year.
• UCF recorded its fifth game with 10 strikeouts or more.
UP NEXT
UCF will travel to Florida on Wednesday night to take on the Gators. The Knights swept a two-game midweek series last year when Florida was ranked No. 1 in the nation. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus and can be heard through UCFKnights.TV.
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