Auburn, Ala. – The UCF baseball team picked up its second weekend sweep of the season, this time over No. 8 Auburn on the road with a 12-2 victory on Sunday afternoon. The three-game sweep of the Tigers was the first sweep of a ranked SEC opponent since the Knights swept No. 11 Alabama in 2011 at home.
Tom Josten opened the scoring for the Black and Gold, sending a two-run no-doubter over the right field wall in the third inning. Three batters later, Pablo Ruiz extended the lead with a three-run blast, his first homer of the 2020 campaign.
Auburn answered with a run of their own before starting pitcher Joe Sheridan got himself out of the jam with an inning-ending double play.
The Knights' opened the floodgates in the fifth inning, as they strung together four hits – all singles, to plate three runs in the inning to push the score to 8-1 through five innings.
UCF continued to string together hits throughout the remainder of the game, scoring two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh, putting the game out of reach for Auburn.
UCF (7-1) – 12, No. 8 Auburn (5-3) – 2
Winning Pitcher: Joe Sheridan (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Bailey Horn (0-1)
Top Pitchers: Joe Sheridan (5.0 IP, W, 5 K)
Top Hitters: Pablo Ruiz (4-5, 1 HR, 1 2B 3 RBI), Dalton Wingo (4-5, 2 2B, 2 R), Nick Romano (4-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI), Tom Josten (1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI)
SWEEPING THE TIGERS
- The sweep at Plainsman Park marks the first time in Auburn baseball history that the Tigers have been swept in a three-game non-conference series at home. Auburn baseball played its first game in 1895.
- The last time Auburn was swept in a three-game set was on the road at No. 2 Arizona State in 2010.
- The Knights outscored Auburn 22-6 across the three-game series.
KNIGHTS NOTES
- The last time UCF swept a ranked SEC opponent in a three-game series was when No. 11 Alabama visited Orlando in 2001.
- The Knights' first sweep of a ranked opponent on the road occurred when UCF swept No. 8 Stetson on the road in 2001.
- Joe Sheridan's win vs. Auburn was his first since March 23, 2018, against No. 18 East Carolina.
- UCF's 12 runs on 17 hits are season-highs in both categories.
ON DECK
UCF will continue its road trip as it travels to Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday, Feb. 25 for the Knights' second mid-week matchup of the season. Bethune-Cookman is coming off of a 1-2 weekend after playing a three-game set with Central Connecticut State.
DON'T MISS OUT
The UCF baseball team is in 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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