ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF baseball team opened the 2020 with a win on Friday at John Euliano Park, marking the 12th win in a row on Opening Knight. The Knights took down Siena by a score of 2-1 thanks to a dominating performance on the mound by Colton Gordon.
It took five innings, but the Black and Gold got on the scoreboard first thanks to an RBI from freshman Matt Archer, his first as a Knight. UCF tacked on another run in the sixth when Gephry Pena drove a triple to the right center field gap and later scored as Tom Josten's first career RBI.
The Knights were in the driver's seat for most of the evening, thanks to Colton Gordon putting up 10 strikeouts and only allowing four hits in his UCF debut. Gordon's 10 strikeouts were the most by an Opening Knight pitcher in over a decade; Cre Finfrock tossed up nine in 2016 and Robbie Howell matched that total in 2017.
Winning Pitcher: Colton Gordon (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Mike McCully (0-1)
Top Pitchers: Colton Gordon (6.1 IP, 10 K, 1 ER, 0 BB), Jeff Hakanson (1 IP, 3 K, 1 SV)
Top Hitters: Matt Archer (1-3, 1 RBI), Gephry Pena (1-4, 1 3B, 1 R), Tom Josten (1 RBI)
Knight of Firsts
- Eight Knights made their debut on Friday night, including Colton Gordon, who fanned 10 batters on his way to his first victory in the Black and Gold
- Matt Archer and Tom Josten each earned their first RBI at John Euliano Park.
Notes to Know
- The Knights are now 58-4 all-time against Siena, including 21 straight.
- Hunter Patteson, UCF's game two starter on Saturday is also set to make his Black and Gold debut.
- Orlando's Hometown Team is now 35-15 all-time on Opening Knight and 86-33-1 on Opening Weekends.
ON DECK
The Knights return to John Euliano Park for a double header on Saturday, Feb. 15 with the game one slated to begin at 2 p.m. Game two will begin roughly 45 minutes after the final out of the first contest. Both games can be streamed on twitch.tv/ucfknightstv1.
DON'T MISS OUT
The UCF baseball team is set for its fourth season under head coach Greg Lovelady and will welcome seven teams from the 2019 NCAA Tournament to John Euliano Park in 2020. Click here or call (407) 823-1000 for ticket information.
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