CLEARWATER, Fla. – UCF Baseball scored 15 unanswered runs and run-ruled Memphis (26-29), to guide the Knights (34-24) Into the semifinals on Saturday against Houston.
Memphis threw the first punch, homering in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half, Noah Orlando got the Knights on the board, hitting a three-run home run to left field. Later in the inning Ben McCabe crushed a two-run home run out of the stadium to center field to give the Knights a 6-2 lead heading to the second.
UCF extended the lead to 7-2 in the second, as Tom Josten singled to first base to score Orlando from third. In the fourth, Orlando drove in his fourth run of the night, singling to left field to score Gephry Pena. McCabe added to his four RBIs in the fourth, singling to left field to score Orlando and Alex Freeland.
The Knights capped off the fourth inning and extend the lead to 12-2, as Michael Brooks grounded out to the pitcher and Andrew Sundean doubled to right center field. In the sixth, UCF added three more to their lead, as Andrew Sundean doubled down the line in left to score McCabe. Trent Taylor continued to stay hot, tripling to left center field to score Sundean, before Pena singled to score Taylor from third.
David Litchfield improved to 4-2 on the season, working four innings of three-hit baseball. Zack Hunsicker allowed one hit and worked two innings for the Knights striking out the lone Tiger.
SCORING MOMENTS
TOP 1st | MEM 2 – UCF 0 | Memphis takes an early lead in the first.
BOTTOM 1st | MEM 2 – UCF 6 | Noah Orlando hits a three-run home run to left field. Ben McCabe hits a two-run home run to center field. Trent Taylor flies out to right field to score Michael Brooks from third.
BOTTOM 2nd | MEM 2 – UCF 7 | Tom Josten singles to first base and score Orlando from third.
BOTTOM 4th | MEM 2 – UCF 12 | Orlando singles to left field to score Pena. McCabe singles to left field to score Orlando and Alex Freeland. Michael Brooks grounds out to the pitcher to score Tom Josten. Andrew Sundean doubles to right center to score McCabe.
BOTTOM 6th | MEM 2 – UCF 15 | Andrew Sundean doubled down the line in left to score McCabe. Trent Taylor triples to left center to score Sundean. Pena singles to left field to score Taylor from third.
GAME NOTES
- Ben McCabe hit his 12th home run of the season on Friday, a two-run blast to dead center field.
- Noah Orlando hit his 8th home run of the season on Friday, a three-run bomb to left field to give the Knights the lead in the bottom of the first.
- Alex Freeland recorded his 100th career hit on Friday, laying down a bunt single in the second inning.
- Seven different Knights recorded an RBI this evening against Memphis.
- David Litchfield improved to 4-2 on the season, working four innings of three-hit baseball.
UP NEXT
UCF Baseball will take on Houston on Saturday, 47 minutes after the conclusion of game one. If UCF were to defeat Houston, game two will be 47 minutes after that, unless Tulane forces a game two in the morning cap.