ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF baseball team used some late heroics to clinch its weekend series on Sunday afternoon at John Euliano park. The Knights struck for a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth and did not allow a base runner in the final two frames to beat Jacksonville 6-4.
“I’m proud of how the guys were able to battle today,” head coach Greg Lovelady said. “They were showed a lot of toughness after we lost the lead and then blew the lead late. They were able to stay in the game. We played much better baseball the last two days. They gave us a chance to win. I saw a lot of good things from some guys, including that big hit from Chandler in the eighth, after a huge pinch hit by McCabe. We’re moving forward and making progress.”
UCF opened the scoring in the first inning. Tyler Osik opened a 3-for-5 day with a single up the middle and advanced to scoring position after a walk to Dallas Beaver. Griffin Bernardo brought the redshirt senior home on a single to right center.
Trevor Holloway went to work on the Jacksonville lineup through the first three innings. The righty fanned four and allowed just one base runner during that span. Holloway ran into some trouble in the fourth when third baseman Angel Camacho lifted a two-run home run to left to give the Dolphins the lead.
The visitor’s advantage was short-lived when the Knights turned to small ball in the bottom of the fourth. The Knights put the ball in play with four bunts and plated a trio of runs on three hits. Griffin Bernardo doubled to left before Matthew Mika moved him over to third on a bunt single. Pedro Castellano put down a sacrifice bunt, that turned into a two-run two-base error by the pitcher. Brandon Hernandez tacked on a run in the next at bat with a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher. Chandler Robertson added one more bunt for good measure.
With a 4-2 lead, Holloway came back out and worked a 1-2-3 fifth inning, before his day was done. The Venice, Fla., native finished with a season-high six strikeouts with one walk and two runs against. He was in line for the win, but Jacksonville rallied to tie the game in the seventh with a pair of runs.
Tied 4-4 in the eighth, Ben McCabe put the go-ahead run on base with a clutch pinch hit single up the middle. The rookie advanced to second on a Hernandez single during the next at-bat. Robertson sent the Knights into the lead for good with a one-out double down the right field line.
The two-run cushion was already enough support for the pitching staff to see out the game, except for the fact that Garrett Westberg and Jeffery Hakanson shut down the JU offense. Westberg came in with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh to strike out the batter. That punchout started a string of four in a row for the Federal Way, Wash., native, before Hakanson came in for the ninth and struck out the side.
UCF (8-3) – 6, Jacksonville (4-6) – 4
Winning pitcher: Garrett Westberg (2-0)
Losing pitcher: Jagger McCoy (0-1)
Top hitter: Tyler Osik (3-5, 1 R, 1 SB), Griffin Bernardo (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R), Chandler Robertson (2-4, 2 RBI, 1 2B)
Top pitchers: Trevor Holloway (5 IP, 6 K, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB), Kyle Kemp (1 IP, 0 H, 1 K), Garrett Westberg (1.1 IP, 4 K, 0 H), Jeffrey Hakanson (1 IP, 3 K, 0 H)
WESTY AND JEFF
• Hakanson recorded his third save of the week, after picking up one at No. 3 Florida and on Saturday night against Jacksonville.
• Westberg earned his second win on the week as well, with his first coming against the Gators.
• The duo combined for 15 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings of work this week with just two runs against.
• Hakanson holds the team lead for strikeouts with 18 in just eight innings of action.
NOTES
• UCF owns a 45-39 record all time against the Dolphins. The 45 wins are tied for the fifth most against an opponent in program history.
• Osik’s three-hit game was his seventh as a Knight.
• Robertson’s two-RBI marked the second time he’s driven in multiple runs in a game in his career.
• UCF tallied 14 strikeouts, the ninth time its reached double digits and tied for the second most this season.
UP NEXT
UCF will welcome Ball State to John Euliano Park for a midweek clash. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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