CLEMSON, S.C. – The Knights clinched the series on a two-win Saturday afternoon in their first road trip of the year at Doug Kingsmore Stadium against Clemson. Wrapping up the final six outs of game one to earn the 4-2 win. Game two was a high-scoring 10-7 ballgame, both UCF victories came without a single Tigers lead.
Game One
The series opener was split into two days due to inclement weather, but the first eight innings of action came on Friday evening.
Efficiency was the theme of the first inning with both Clemson's Ryan Ammons and Ruddy Gomez starting the game three up, three down. In the bottom of the first, Andrew Brait made a diving stop in the infield to retire the leadoff hitter and Gomez rolled a 5-4-3 double play to end the scoreless first.
Ben McCabe was first on base for the Knights in the second, leading off with a stand-up double down the left field line. Brait sacrificed to move McCabe to third and Lex Boedicker found the gap in right field to drive in the first run of the game. Ammons surrendered the first two walks of his season, as Brady Shannon and Corey Robinson drew them back-to-back. After Shannon loaded the bases, Robinson followed with a four-pitch walk to drive in the second run for the Knights.
Gomez retired the first two hitters of the third with four pitches. Two hits put runners on the corners for Clemson. The third-ranked team in the nation in stolen bases tacked on their first run with a successful double steal, taking home. Gomez caught Benjamin Blackwell looking and ended the third with his second strikeout of the night.
Following a 76 minute rain delay, Chase Centala entered the game in the middle of the fifth inning. The tying run came across on a single, but Centala stranded two to limit the damage to one run for the Tigers. Pitching lights-out for the next three frames, Centala went nine up, nine down to send the game into the ninth, tied 2-2.
Cole Russo came in as a pinch hitter and ripped a single to center field. Ryan Taylor came in as a pinch runner on first, and Robinson reached base to put two on before game was suspended with no outs in the ninth.
Resuming play at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with runners on first and second and no outs, the Knights tacked on two more runs. Nick Romano drove one in with a single and Andrew Brait was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. Kyle Kramer closed the door on game one with a 1-2-3 appearance, notching two strikeouts and earning the save.
The Knights won the opening game with a final score of 4-2.
Game Two
The second contest of Saturday was headlined by a high-powered offense, mashing 3 home runs and 10 hits. Drew Faurot hit his second of the season in the second inning and John Rhys Plumlee smashed his first home run as a Knight the following inning.
In the third inning, Russo caught Benjamin Blackwell stealing, hosing Clemson's leader in stolen bases at third base as Cameron Leiter worked his third scoreless frame.
The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but Leiter limited the damage to one run for Clemson. Faurot gloved the final out of the fourth on an amazing catch at shortstop.
Russo drew Clemson's Austin Gordon's first walk of the season. Brait moved Russo to second hit by pitch. Nick Romano singled to right field and left two runners on, which Josten would clear with a three-run shot over the center field wall.
The Tigers answered the Knights big four-run fifth inning with five of their own across the next two to tie it up, climbing back from a 6-1 deficit.
Marlowe arrived on the mound for his third appearance of the season, making quick work of the seventh inning, going 1-2-3 with nine pitches.
Robinson entered the lineup to lead off the eighth and wasted no time. Knights took back their lead as Robinson advanced to home on an error which puts Plumlee in scoring position. Brait gets his fourth hit of the day to score Plumlee from second. Josten drew a walk to load the bases. McCabe was hit by a pitch with bases loaded to score Brait. A sac fly from Boedicker scored Nick Romano for the Knights second four-run inning of the game.
Pitching lights-out in the eight, Marlowe once again retired the side in order in only nine pitches. In the bottom of the ninth, the heart of the Tigers lineup scored the first Clemson run since the sixth inning, but Marlowe held them to the one run securing the series win for the Knights. The final score was 10-7.
The Knights will return to Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. to attempt their second series sweep of the year.
- Game 1
- Game 2