WICHITA, Kan. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF baseball team split its Saturday doubleheader at Wichita State. The Knights (23-17, 5-10) closed out the final three innings of Friday night’s suspended game to win 11-2, but a surge by Wichita State (20-19, 5-7) in the middle innings of the rubber match was too much for the Black and Gold to overcome, falling 6-4.
GAME 1
For the second time this season, the UCF baseball team had to close out a game the next morning. Leading 10-2 in the seventh inning on Friday night in game two of the weekend series at Wichita State, the Knights had play suspended due to an issue with the lighting system.
UCF pitcher Chris Williams rolled in his fourth quality start of the season. The righty fanned seven over the course of six innings of work. He dealt just one free pass and worked around six hits. The redshirt senior continued to roll into the sixth with a trio of punchouts.
Williams kept the hosts off the board for the opening two frames, but Wichita State drove in the opening run of the game in the third, an unearned run aided by an error.
UCF responded to Wichita State’s unearned run in the top of the fourth. Dallas Beaver picked up the Knights’ first hit of the game and advanced to second on a walk to Ray Alejo. Two batters later, the junior wheeled his way home on an RBI single by Dalton Wingo.
The Knights took the lead in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs. Chandler Robertson lofted his first career home run to right center on the first offering of the frame. Matthew Mika, who singled earlier in the inning, came home later in the inning on an RBI sacrifice fly from Ray Alejo.
After Wichita State pulled a run back in the bottom of the fifth, the Knights erupted for a seven-run seventh. Anthony George started the scoring with an RBI single to left center with the bases loaded. After some gamesman ship by head coach Greg Lovelady, Ben McCabe wore an inside pitch on an 0-2 count during the next at-bat to bring in a run. Two batters later with the bases loaded, Mika absolutely demolished an 0-2 offering to the wall in left for his first career grand slam.
After the game was suspended for 12 hours, Luis Ferrer took the mound to close things outs. The lefty gave the Knights a trio of quality innings to save the bullpen for the series finale. Ferrer scattered a trio of hits and did not issue a walk.
Dalton Wingo added a run in the eighth with a solo home run to left center. Wichita State tacked on an unearned run on the final play of the game, with the run crossing a few seconds before the final out was tagged out at second.
UCF – 11, Wichita State– 2
Winning pitcher: Chris Williams (4-3)
Losing pitcher: Preston Snavely (3-4)
Save: Luis Ferrer (1)
Top hitters: Matthew Mika (2-6, 4 RBI, 2 R, 1 HR), Dallas Beaver (2-4, 2 R, 2 BB), Dalton Wingo (2-4, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR), Chandler Robertson (1-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR)
Top pitchers: Chris Williams (6 IP, 7 K, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER), Luis Ferrer (3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER)
WILLY WORKS
• Williams allowed the leadoff runner to reach just twice.
• The only thing that stopped him was the light issue, as the northpaw was on just 75 pitches when the game was suspended.
• Williams now has 184 career punchouts at UCF, bringing him within 20 of the career top 10.
SEVEN RUN SEVENTH
• The Knights scored seven runs on four hits.
• UCF drew three free passes in the inning - two walks and a hit by pitch.
• The seven runs are the second most by the Black and Gold in an inning this season.
NOTES
• The Knights launched three home runs, which is the second most this season.
• Chandler Robertson is the third Knight to hit his first career home run in 2019.
• Matthew Mika’s grand slam was the second for the Knights this year.
• Anthony George caught his eighth runner stealing of the year.
• Luis Ferrer recorded his first career save.
GAME 2
After evening the series in the morning, the Knights saw an early three-run lead fade away during the middle innings. Down by three after the fifth, UCF managed to pull back one run but could not complete the comeback and win the series.
The Knights used the long ball to strike early. Matthew Mika opened the scoring with a leadoff home run on a 1-1 offering to left center. An inning later, Griffin Bernardo sent an 1-0 delivery over the wall in left for a two-run shot that made it 3-0.
UCF fell on the unlucky side of a few bounces in the bottom of the second, as the Shockers plated three runs on three hits.
Making his first career start, Zack Hunsicker went 1 1/3 with one strikeout. The rookie finished with a trio of earned runs allowed, despite several near errors defensively.
Garrett Westberg came in for the next three innings of work, a career long. The Federal Way, Wash., native struck out two and scattered with four hits. He was on the hook for a pair of runs, unluckily both earned.
After the hosts plated a trio of runs over the fourth and fifth innings to open a 6-3 advantage, Dalton Wingo pulled one back for the Knights in the top of the sixth with a solo home run to left field off the scoreboard.
The Knights had their chances to narrow the gap over the final three innings, including a pair of runners in scoring position in the eighth and one in the ninth.
UCF – 4, Wichita State– 6
Winning pitcher: Clayton McGinness (4-3)
Losing pitcher: Garrett Westberg (2-4)
Top hitters: Dallas Beaver (2-5), Dalton Wingo (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR), Griffin Bernardo (1-3, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR), Matthew Mika (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 BB)
Top pitchers: Garrett Westberg (3 IP, 2 K, 0 BB, 4 H, 2 ER), Jeffrey Hakanson (1.2 IP, 3 K, 2 BB, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER), Kyle Kemp 2 IP, 2 K, 1 H, 0 R)
NOTES
• The all-time series is tied at 3-3
• Anthony George caught his ninth runner of the year.
• The series finale was the ninth multi-home run game for the Knights this season.
• The bullpen finished the final game with five strikeouts.
• Gephry Pena notched his second stolen base of the year.
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