Orlando, Fla. – The UCF baseball team won their third game in a row and their fourth in their last five on Tuesday night against FAU by a score of 8-3. The Knights bullpen was lights out going five innings, giving up zero runs and only three hits.
FAU (9-6) opened the scoring with a two-run home run by BJ Murray. The Owls tacked on a third run in the third inning. UCF's (7-9) bats would wake up in the bottom half of the third when Josh Crouch took a pitch deep to left field to make it a one run deficit for the Knights.
The following inning Alex Freeland drew a bases loaded walk to knot the game up at three apiece. The following inning, the Black and Gold would load the bases again but fail to push a run across.
Nothing happened for the FAU offense after the third inning behind the arms of Ben Vespi, Zack Bennett, and David Litchfield out of the bullpen.
The patient UCF offense would work 11 total walks but none bigger than Crouch's bases loaded walk in the 8th inning to give the Knights the lead. The very next at bat my Ben McCabe got John Euliano park rocking. He took a 2-2 pitch deep to left center field for a grand slam that put UCF up 8-3.
Litchfield came in for the ninth to close the game out with a 1-2-3 inning and the Knights held on to earn a series split with FAU.
UCF (7-9) – 8, FAU (9-6) – 3
Winning Pitcher: Zach Bennett (2.0 IP, K, 0 BB)
Losing Pitcher: Mike Entenza (1.0 IP, 2 K, 1 H, 4 BB, 5 ER)
Top Hitters: Josh Crouch (3-4, 3 RBI, 2 R, HR), Ben McCabe (2-5, 4 RBI, 1 R, HR)
Top Pitchers: Ben Vespi (2.0 IP, 2 K), Zack Bennett (2.0 IP, K)
Notes
- Ben McCabe's grand slam was his team leading 7th home run this season
- UCF leads the all-time series vs. FAU 40-37
- The Knights record against Florida teams is now 4-4
- Showing off some pop in the bats, 11 Knights have combined for 23 homers as a team, which is 17th in the country
ON DECK
The Knights travel to Jacksonville, Fla. for the first two games of a three game set with Jacksonville University. After the first two games of the series in Jacksonville, UCF will then return to John Euliano Park to end the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
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