ORLANDO, Fla. – David Litchfield worked six innings of two-hit baseball, recording a career-high eight strikeouts in the Knights 12-0 victory over Siena on Friday night. UCF improves to 1-0 on the season, while the Saints fall to 0-1.
UCF opened the scoring in the third, when Nick Romano singled up the middle to score Cole Russo. The Knights would add a pair in the fourth and sixth innings to increase the lead to 5-0.
In the eighth, UCF would send 10 batters to the plate. Cole Russo would get the inning started when he singled to right field to score Ben McCabe. Gephry Pena added to the scoring, driving in two more runs with a single to left. Nick Romano would plate two more runs on a blooper to right field, before Pablo Ruiz came to the plate to pinch-hit.
Ruiz would launch the first pitch he saw this season into left field for a two-run home run to cap off the night. Zack Hunsicker would relieve Litchfield in the seven, working two innings and striking out two batters. Hunsicker worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to keep the Saints off the board.
Cameron Crain would come on for the final three out of the ballgame, striking out two of the three batters he faced. The Knight and Saints will continue the three-game set tomorrow at 4 p.m. from John Euliano Park.
SCORING MOMENTS
BOTTOM 3rd | SIENA 0 – UCF 1 | Nick Romano singles up the middle to score Cole Russo from second.
BOTTOM 4th | SIENA 0 – UCF 3 | Ben McCabe singled up the middle to score Lex Boedicker. Cole Russo hits a sacrifice fly to center field to score Ben McCabe.
BOTTOM 6th | SIENA 0 – UCF 5 | Michael Brooks doubled to score Ben McCabe.
BOTTOM 8th | SIENA 0 – UCF 12 | Cole Russo singled to right field scoring Ben McCabe. Gephry Pena singled to left field scoring Trent Taylor and Noah Orlando. Nick Romano singled to right scoring Alex Freeland and Gephry Pena. Pablo Ruiz hit a two-run home run.
GAME NOTES
- David Litchfield made his first career start on Friday, working six innings of two-hit baseball. He posted a career-high eight strikeouts.
- Ben McCabe finished the night 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI.
- Cole Russo finished the night 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs.
- Pablo Ruiz hit the Knights first home run of the season, a two-run blast to left field.
- Lex Boedicker recorded his first-career hit on Friday, a triple off the wall in right center field.
UP NEXT
UCF will continue the three-game home stand against Siena on Saturday at John Euliano Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.