New Orleans, La. – Opening the final road series of the 2021 campaign, the Knights dropped a pair of contests to Tulane in New Orleans, 5-4 in the first game, and 9-1 in the nightcap.
Game One | UCF (23-26, 13-12 AAC) – 4, Tulane (26-17, 15-5 AAC) – 5
Freshman Hunter Patteson tossed lights out baseball to open the series against Tulane, going a career-high 5.2 IP while fanning a career-high 10 strikeouts in the outing. Riding the stellar outing from Patteson, the Knights were able to gain a three-run advantage halfway through the sixth inning.
Andrew Brait supplied the first run for UCF on a sac fly in the fifth inning, followed by a two-RBI single from the bat of Ben McCabe. Tulane answered with a run of their own, taking advantage of some free passes in the inning.
The two clubs traded runs in the eighth, as Alex Freeland drove in Josh Crouch with a RBI single and the Green Wave pushed a run across on a pair of hits and a defensive error to make the score 4-2.
In the ninth inning of the ball game, Tulane hit a two-run home run to even the contest, 4-4. Starting with a runner on second base in the bottom of the 10th, the Green Wave earned the walk-off victory in their half with a sacrifice fly.
Winning Pitcher: Keagan Gillies, (W, 1-1)
Losing Pitcher: Ben Vespi, (L, 1-1)
Top Pitcher: Hunter Patteson (5.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 R, 10 K)
Top Hitters: Ben McCabe (2-5, 2 RBI), Tom Josten (3-3, R, 2 BB)
Notables
- McCabe's 2 RBI brings his 2021 total to 51 to lead the Knights.
- Gephry Pena picked up his 23rd stolen base of the 2021 campaign. His 23 stolen bases lead the American Athletic Conference.
- Patteson's 5.2 IP and 10 strikeouts are both career-highs for the second-year freshman.
- Tom Josten went 3-for-3 at the plate and picked up a pair of walks in the firs game of the doubleheader
Game Two | UCF (23-27, 13-13 AAC) – 1, Tulane (27-17, 16-5 AAC) – 9
The Green Wave jumped out to the early lead in the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning after stringing together a couple hits.
Trent Taylor answered in the next half inning, slugging a solo shot – his second homer of the season to even things up at one run a piece.
Tulane made a statement, plating six runs on four singles in the fifth inning for a commanding lead, before adding two more in the seventh. Reliever, Trent Johnson of the Tulane pitching staff held the UCF offense scoreless for the duration of the game.
Winning Pitcher: Jack Aldrich (W, 5-2)
Losing Pitcher: Zack Hunsicker (L, 1-3)
Top Hitters: Trent Taylor (1-3, HR)
Notables
- The Knights fall to 24-27 all-time against Tulane after dropping the doubleheader on the road.
- Coach Lovelady remains just one win away from his 150th career win as the head coach of the Knights.
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