DELAND, Fla. – The UCF baseball team started its week off with a 7-1 victory over Setson to put the Knights back in the win column on the road. A strong defensive performance and a career start from Cameron Leiter were key in the win.
Leiter went nine up, nine down to start the outing, rolling a double play to end the third inning. He threw 6.0 innings and allowed only one earned run and one walk. With seven strikeouts, he tied his single-game high and he also went a career-high 6.0 innings. Leiter earned his first career win.
Andrew Sundean opened the scoring for the Knights in the top of the second inning with a towering solo home run to center field, his sixth of the season. Sundean added another Knights run and an RBI on a bases-loaded hit by pitch to score Tom Josten, who had reached on a fielder's choice.
Cole Russo was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth inning. Matt Cedarburg followed with a two-run home run to left field, knocking the first of his career and extending the Knights' lead to 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, three back-to-back singles loaded the bases and Landon Moran drew a walk for the lone Stetson run of the game. Leiter notched another strikeout and rolled a 4-6-3 double play to strand three, limiting the Hatters to one run.
The Knights' defense had a stellar game as UCF made no errors and turned four double plays, a single-game season-high.
In the top of the sixth, John Rhys Plumlee doubled down the left-field line and stole third for his ninth stolen base of the season. Andrew Brait hit his first career triple to right center to score Plumlee and give the Knights a 5-1 lead.
Sundean added his second home run of the game, the Knights' 60th on the season, in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of seven, Najer Victor entered the game in a bases-loaded no-out situation and struck out three in only 10 pitches to get out of the jam. Victor rolled UCF's fourth double play of the game in the eighth to end the inning.
Cedarburg singled up the middle to notch his first multi-hit game and advanced to second on a balk. A Plumlee single to center field moved Cedarburg to third. The Knights' final run of the contest came on a sacrifice bunt from Brait, which scored Cedarburg from third base.
In another efficient performance from the bullpen, Kyle Kramer came out with the bases loaded and two away in the bottom of the ninth to retire the final batter with a single pitch, getting a fly out to center field.
Returning to the win column, the Knights move to 18-15 on the season.
UP NEXT
The Knights host the Memphis Tigers for a three-game series this weekend to continue American Athletic Conference play at John Euliano Park. The series opener begins 5 p.m. Friday, April 14th and is followed by UCF's spring football game at 7:30 p.m. at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Fans are encouraged to attend the spring game following Friday's contest. The series will wrap up with the final two games on Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).
On Tuesday, April 18th the Knights host the Hatters for a midweek rematch at 6:00 p.m. at John Euliano Park.