CORAL GABLES, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – A six-run fifth inning and a herculean effort to holdoff a late charge guided the UCF baseball team to an 8-7 win over No. 18 Miami on Wednesday night. The Knights have now won three of their last four against the Hurricanes.
“I can’t say how proud I am of this team competing,” head coach Greg Lovelady said. “Kemp fought his butt off in back-to-back appearances for the first time this year. All the pitchers found their way to battle tonight. We played great defense. The outfielders did a great job. We came up with clutch hits whenever we needed them. Jack Sinclair was huge for us. To come in that situation for us and get the strikeout was something else. That’s a really big win against a potential regional host team.”
For the second straight night, the Black and Gold found themselves in an early hole, after Miami took the lead on a solo home run in the first.
Starter Grant Schuermann bounced back to fire off three innings. The lefty surrendered just two hits in his first midweek appearance of the year. After two-out homer, Schuermann faced the minimum over the next 2 1/3 innings.
The offense broke out of its early slump in the fifth. UCF struck for six runs on four hits. Chandler Robertson started the frame with a leadoff double off the wall in left, before Brandon Hernandez and Anthony George loaded the bases with no outs.
Ray Alejo sent the Black and Gold from one down to one ahead with a two-run double to left center. Matthew Mika then made it a two-run lead on a sacrifice fly to left.
After a wild pitch plated Alejo, Tyler Osik belted a two-run dinger just over the wall in left to open a 6-1 advantage.
Dalton Wingo added to the lead two innings later with an RBI single to right center, which brought in two runs, thanks to an error by Miami.
Chris Williams and David Litchfield covered the next four innings on the mound. Williams went three innings with one strikeout and no runs allowed. Litchfield posted a career-high four strikeouts over his 1 1/3 innings of action, before exiting in the eighth.
Things got a little dicey towards the end. Miami drove in four runs in the bottom of the eighth on a pair of home runs. The Hurricanes cut the lead down to one in the bottom of the ninth with their fourth home run of the game.
Miami then put the tying and go-ahead runs on the paths over the next three at-bats. After a wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position, Jack Sinclair rolled off a seven-pitch strikeout to end the game and notch his first save of the year.
UCF (31-19) – 8, No. 18 Miami (34-15) – 7
Winning pitcher: Chris Williams (6-4)
Losing pitcher: Mark Mixon (2-1)
Save: Jack Sinclair (1)
Top hitters: Ray Alejo (1-5, 2 RBI, 1 R), Matthew Mika (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R), Tyler Osik (1-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 BB), Chandler Robertson (2-4, 1 R), Brandon Hernandez (2-4, 1 R)
Top pitchers: Grant Schuermann (3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER), Chris Williams (3 IP, 1 K, 2 H, 0 R), David Litchfield (1.1 IP, 4 K, 1 H, 2 ER), Jack Sinclair (0.1 IP, 1 K, 0 H, 0 R)
NOTES
• With their win on Wednesday, the Knights have knocked off Miami, Florida and Florida State in the same season for the first time since 1985.
• UCF is now 4-5in games against ranked opponents in 2019.
• The Black and Gold has won eight of its last 10 games.
• Osik’s home run was his ninth of the year and his 18th in his career.
• The Knights recorded five extra-base knocks on nine hits.
UP NEXT
The Knights will have plenty of time to rest after Wednesday night’s win with the entire weekend off. UCF will travel to FAU next Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
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