ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – Matthew Mika has the perfect beginning and end for the UCF baseball team on Tuesday night at John Euliano Park. The senior went 3-for-5 with a home run and a walk-off RBI single in the 10th, as the Knights edged Bethune-Cookman, 5-4.
“I’m proud of the kids for battling as hard as they did,” head coach Greg Lovelady said. “We put ourselves in a lot of trouble with some free bases, but we were able to pitch out of it. We made some big plays when we needed them the most. I thought the player of the game was Jay Lyons. Making his first start, he got on base four times and three huge picks at first base that saved the game for us. We talk a lot about taking your chance when the moment comes, and he did that and then some. It’s a good win. We just need to take this into the weekend and build up some momentum.”
Mika continued his hot hitting in the bottom of the first. After the Wildcats opened the scoring in the top of the first with a pair of unearned runs, the senior roped a solo home run, his third in as many games, over the wall in left to cut the gap down to one.
The Knights benefitted from a home field advantage in the bottom of the third to tie the game. With runners on the corners and two outs, Dalton Wingo skied a 2-2 offering to second base, seemingly for the final out of the inning. The Bethune-Cookman middle infielders lost the ball in the sun, allowing Mika to trot in from third to tie the game.
Starting pitcher Jordan Spicer settled in after the bumpy first frame. The righty gave the Knights a solid five innings with a pair of strikeouts. Spicer rolled after the first with three straight scoreless frames. The senior finished with one earned run allowed, which came in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout with the bases loaded.
An inning later, the Knights took the lead with a pair of runs on three hits. Chandler Robertson, Griffin Bernardo and Anthony George started things off with back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs. Jay Lyons then worked a bases-loaded walk to tie the game. Two batters later, Mika lifted a 1-2 offering to left center for an RBI sacrifice fly to make it 4-3 in favor of the Knights.
Zack Hunsicker came on in relief of Spicer for two innings. The rookie cruised through the sixth and seventh, before making his exit in the eighth with two on. Garrett Westberg and Jeffery Hakanson worked their way through the eighth with three combined strikeouts and one run allowed.
Jack Sinclair shut things down for the final two innings. The righty worked around a trio of walks and one hit to earn his fourth win of the year.
In the bottom of the 10th, the Knights loaded the bases without swinging the bat with walks to George and Adams Torres, plus a hit by pitch by Jay Lyons. Mika stepped to the plate to end the game with an RBI single to left.
UCF (24-17) – 5, Bethune-Cookman (15-28) – 4
Winning pitcher: Jack Sinclair (4-3)
Losing pitcher: Jordan Pinto (4-3)
Top hitters: Matthew Mika (3-5, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 HR), Dallas Beaver (3-5), Jay Lyons (1-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 HBP)
Top pitchers: Jordan Spicer (5 IP, 2 K, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER), Zack Hunsicker (2.0 IP, 1 K, 1 H, 1 R), Jack Sinclair (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R), Jeffrey Hakanson (0.2 IP, 2 K, 1 H, 0 R), Garrett Westberg (0.1 IP, 1 K, 0 H)
GETTING OUT OF JAMS
• UCF forced the Wildcats to strand 14 runners on base, the second most by an opponent this season.
• The Knights got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth with a strikeout by Jeffrey Hakanson.
• With the Wildcats poised to take the lead with one out in the top of the ninth, Dallas Beaver quickly fielded a groundball, touched third and threw over to first, where Jay Lyons made a spectacular pick to keep the game tied.
IT’S JUST HIS YEAR
• Matthew Mika’s three-RBI performance was his eighth multi-RBI game of the year.
• The senior has homered in each of the last three games, including his first career grand slam last Friday against Wichita State.
• The second baseman also stole his team-leading 21st base of the year on Tuesday night.
NOTES
• UCF leads the all-time series against Bethune-Cookman 82-17, the most wins by the Knights against an opponent.
• Mika’s home run was the 15th homer to leadoff an innings and the third time the Knights have led off a game with a home run.
• All nine batters in the starting lineup reached base at least once.
• Lyons drew a career-high two walks and stole the first base of his career.
• The Knights are now 2-1 in extra-inning games in 2019.
UP NEXT
The Knights will play their penultimate home series of the year this weekend against Memphis. First pitch times are set for 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with a 1 p.m. start time on Sunday.
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