NORMAN, Okla. – The UCF baseball team found itself on the wrong end of an 14-2 contest in the series finale at Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman.
With the result, OU (9-5, 3-0 Big 12) ended up sweeping UCF’s (9-4, 0-3 Big 12) inaugural Big 12 Conference series after previously claiming both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday.
“Obviously it was a disappointing game. I thought we’d bounce back a little better than we did,” head UCF coach Rich Wallace said. “We had a chance to get out of some situations early but once they got that three-run home run we couldn’t seem to keep them down once they got their offense going. We’ll figure out a way to regroup and be ready to go next week.”
The Sooners loaded the bases with nobody out in the second and scored the first run of the game with a sac fly to take a 1-0 advantage. With two on and one away, UCF starter Dom Stagliano limited the damage by drawing an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
OU then added a run in the third and three more in the fourth on a two-out three-run home run from Carter Frederick to take a 5-0 lead.
The Knights then got on the board in the fifth as freshman Andrew Williamson pulled a solo home run out to right to make it a 5-1 contest. Williamson’s home run was a hard-hit line drive and marked his second of the season and second of the week as he previously homered at Florida on Wednesday.
Oklahoma answered back with a run in the fifth and looked for more with two runners in scoring position, but UCF’s Chase Centala came on and struck out the first man he faced to keep it a 6-1 game.
The Black and Gold threatened in the sixth as Lex Boedicker walked and Jack Zyska moved him to third with a two-out double down the leftfield line, but Jace Miner came on and drew an inning-ending groundout to keep it 6-1.
The Sooners then put up five runs in the bottom of the sixth with the big blow coming via a three-run home run off the bat of Michael Snyder to make it 11-1.
UCF kept the game alive in the top of the seventh as Williamson led off the frame with a walk and Braden Calise promptly followed with his first hit in a UCF uniform to put two on with nobody out. After a sac bunt from Mikey Kluska, Matt Prevesk then drove in Williamson from third with a sac fly to left to make it an 11-2 score.
Oklahoma then put the game away in the last of the seventh with a three-run home run from Easton Carmichael.
The freshman Williamson led UCF offensively in the game by going 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk and two runs scored. Prevesk also went 1-for-2 in the contest with an RBI. OU starter Jamie Hitt gave up just one run on four hits over 5.2 innings to earn the victory (1-1). UCF’s Stagliano was tagged with his first loss of the season (0-1).
The Knights will now return to Orlando to welcome Stetson to town for a midweek on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Following the contest, UCF will then host Oklahoma State for its inaugural Big 12 Conference home series Friday and Sunday at John Euliano Park.