ORLANDO, Fla. – Michael Brook and Tom Josten homered in back-to-back innings as part of a nine-run answered spell by UCF (12-5) in the late innings to defeat the Miami Hurricanes (11-5) 10-5 on Wednesday night. Cylis Cox improved to 1-0 on the season, getting a ground ball to second to get a runner on the corners jam in the fifth.
UCF opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as Ben McCabe grounded out to shortstop to score Gephry Pena from third. Miami would answer with a solo shot of their own in the second, before both teams were scoreless for two innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, Pena reached on an error by the center fielder, scoring Pablo Ruiz. Alex Freeland tacked on another run to extend the lead to 3-1 by grounding out to second to score Lex Boedicker. UCF continued to put up crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the sixth, as Lex Boedicker chipped a ball into left field to score Ruiz and Tom Josten. Later in the inning, Michael Brooks hit his second home run of the campaign, a two-run shot to left field to push the lead to 7-1.
In the seventh, Josten crushed a three-run home run to right center field into the Loveshack to extend the Knights' lead to 10-1. Miami would hit a grand slam in the ninth, but Zack Hunsicker would record the final outs to give UCF its second home victory over Miami in the series and the first since 2014.
Kyle Kramer worked two innings of one-hit baseball out of the bullpen in the sixth and seventh to stifle Miami hitters, striking out two of the 11 batters retired by punchout in the game. Ben Vespi added a clean inning in the eighth recording a strikeout of his own.
SCORING MOMENTS
BOTTOM 1st | MIAMI 0 – UCF 1 | Ben McCabe grounded out to shortstop to score Gephry Pena.
TOP 2nd | MIAMI 1 – UCF 1 | Miami ties the ballgame.
BOTTOM 5th | MIAMI 1 – UCF 3 | Gephry Pena reached on an error by the centerfielder scoring Pablo Ruiz. Alex Freeland grounded out to second to score Lex Boedicker.
BOTTOM 6th | MIAMI 1 – UCF 7 | Lex Boedicker singled to left field to score Ruiz and Tom Josten. Michael Brooks hit a two-run home run to left field.
BOTTOM 7th | MIAMI 1 – UCF 10 | Tom Josten hit a three-run home run to right center field.
TOP 9th | MIAMI 5 – UCF 10 | The Hurricanes hit a grand slam.
GAME NOTES
- UCF scored its last seven runs with two outs in both the sixth and seventh inning.
- Tom Josten finished the night 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
- Michael Brooks finished the night 2-for-3 with a two-run shot in the sixth, as part of a four-run inning for UCF.
- Cylis Cox picked up the win in relief on Wednesday, recording the final out of the fifth inning to strand Hurricane runners on the corners.
- The Knights scored double-digit runs for the sixth time this season.
- UCF pitchers struck out the Hurricanes 11 times on Wednesday evening.
- The Knights improved to 5-0 in the midweek and 5-0 after a loss this season.
- The 10-5 victory was only the second time in program history that UCF has defeated Miami at home. The last time came on April 4, 2014, a 6-5 victory.
UP NEXT
UCF will welcome in UNC Greensboro this weekend for a three-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday from John Euliano Park.