ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – Dalton Wingo drove in three RBI and homered on Tuesday night to help the UCF baseball team to a 7-5 series opening win over Yale. The Knights totaled 13 hits on the night, their second highest tally this season.
“I didn’t think we played our best, but we found a way to win,” head coach Greg Lovelady said. “Spice gave us a good start and the bullpen came in and did its job. Wingo had a great game tonight. We were able to string together some hits and keep the lead all night. We have a few things we need to do to improve, but it’s a good win. Tomorrow’s another important game that we’ll need to win.”
The Knights went to work in the bottom of the first after the Bulldogs took an early two-run lead. Ray Alejo started things off with a triple to right center field. Tyler Osik put the Knights on the board with an RBI single through the left side two batters later. After a perfect bunt single from Matthew Mika to load the bases, Dallas Beaver drew a walk to make it 2-0.
Wingo put the Knights ahead with his first hit of the night. The sophomore drove an 0-1 offering back up the middle to bring in a pair of runs. UCF never relinquished the lead after that.
Starting pitcher Jordan Spicer had a solid night on the mound with the run support. The righty fanned a pair and scattered a trio of hits in his four innings of work. Jack Sinclair came on in relief for the next three innings, striking out one and allowed a pair of runs.
After Yale pulled a run back in the top of the third, UCF extended its advantage to 6-3 with a run in the fifth and sixth. Wingo drilled a 1-0 delivery over the wall in left, a solo shot, before Beaver hit a bloop single down the left field line that brought in Osik from third.
The Bulldogs cut the UCF lead down to one with a pair of runs in the seventh, but relivers Kyle Kemp and Jeffrey Hakanson locked it down for the final two frames. Kemp worked a two-out walk to finish the eighth with a punchout. Hakanson picked up his fourth save on the year with a 1-2-3 ninth, featuring his team-leading 23rd and 24th strikeouts.
Matthew Mika brought in an extra insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly.
UCF (11-5) – 7, Yale (3-8) – 5
Winning pitcher: Jack Sinclair (2-1)
Losing pitcher: Rohan Handa (0-1)
Top hitters: Dalton Wingo (3-5, 3 RBI, 1 HR), Tyler Osik (3-3, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB), Ray Alejo (2-5, 1 R), Matthew Mika (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R), Dallas Beaver (1-3, 2 RBI)
Top pitchers: Jordan Spicer (4.0 IP, 2 K, 3 H, 3 ER), Jack Sinclair (3.0 IP, 1 K, 4 H, 2 ER), Kyle Kemp (1.0 IP, 1 K, 0 H), Jeffrey Hakanson (1.0 IP, 2 K, 0 H)
POWER HITTING
• The Knights hit for the team cycle on Tuesday night, thanks to the homer from Wingo and triple from Alejo.
• Mika and Osik also added doubles for the Knights to total four extra bases hits, tied for third most this season.
• UCF had four players notch multi-hit games – 3 from Wingo and Osik, 2 from Alejo and Mika.
WINGO’S WAY
• The three hits marked a career-high for the sophomore. His previous high was two, done seven times.
• Wingo’s homer in the fifth was his second on the year and fifth of his career.
• The Plant City, Fla., native also matched his career high with three RBI.
• He now has five multi-RBI and 10 multi-hit games in his career.
NOTES
• UCF trails the all-time series 2-4-2.
• Hakanson has converted four of his five save opportunities this season.
• Osik extended his on-base streak to a career-long 14 games.
• Gephry Pena recorded his first career stolen base on his first career attempt.
• After stealing a bag, Osik now has four swipes this season, matching his entire output from 2018.
• Kemp maintained his flawless 0.00 ERA and dropped his opponent batting average down to .029.
UP NEXT
The Knights will round out their two-game series against Yale tomorrow night at 6 p.m.
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