ORLANDO – The UCF baseball team scored six runs in the late innings but couldn’t complete the comeback, as Oklahoma State held on to take Sunday’s finale by a score of 16-10.
Despite suffering the setback, the Knights (12-5, 2-4 Big 12) claimed their first Big 12 Conference series victory on the weekend by taking two of three from the Cowboys (12-8, 1-2 Big 12). OSU, who is receiving votes for the most recent ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, won a share of the Big 12 title a season ago and has made 10 consecutive NCAA Regional appearances.
“Obviously I was disappointed with some of the pitching part of it today, but I thought that we came out ready to play from the beginning. It’s hard to win when you are giving up a six and a seven spot and when you walk eight batters. But our guys fought-and-fought-and-fought and we had chances there at the end, but we just couldn’t get it done," head UCF coach Rich Wallace said.
The Cowboys struck first with seven runs in the top of the second to jump out to a quick 7-0 lead. Jaxson Crull and Aidan Meola had the big hits in the frame for OSU with home runs.
The Knights countered back with four runs in the last of the second to pull within three at 7-4. The Black and Gold loaded the bases with nobody out and Braden Calise drove in Jack Zyska from third with an RBI fielder’s choice. Mikey Kluska then drew a walk to again load the bases and Matt Prevesk delivered a two-run single through the right side to plate Calise and Matt Cedarburg. Lex Boedicker later capped the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless third, OSU then hung another crooked number on the scoreboard in the fourth with six more runs. Meola had a two-run single in the inning while Colin Brueggemann made it 13-4 with a two-run homer to left.
In the top of the sixth inning, UCF reliever Spencer Bauer accomplished a rare feat by striking out four batters in the inning, as one of the four was able to reach base on a swinging strike three that got away from Andrew Sundean behind the plate.
With Oklahoma State holding to the 13-4 lead in the seventh, UCF got two runners aboard with two away. Pinch hitter Danny Neri then stepped to the plate and ripped out a three-run home run to right on the first pitch that he saw to make it 13-7. Following a single off the bat of Prevesk, Andrew Brait then lifted a ball to right centerfield that OSU’s Carson Benge dropped to allow Prevesk to score and pull the Knights to within five at 13-8.
OSU then got a run back in the top of the eighth, but UCF responded with two solo home runs in the bottom of the frame to make it 14-10. Zyska led off the last of the inning with a solo homer to left and Cedarburg followed with a one-out solo shot to center to pull the Black and Gold to within four. The Knights threatened for more as Neri and Calise later singled with two away, but OSU reliever Dominick Reid managed to draw an inning-ending double play to escape the jam.
The Pokes then added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth and UCF was unable to answer in the bottom of the inning as Oklahoma State held on for the win to salvage a game on the weekend.
Neri paced the Black and Gold offense off the bench by going 2-for-2 in the late innings with a home run and three RBIs, while Prevesk went 3-for-6 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Cedarburg also had a multiple-hit outing by going 2-for-4 with with three runs scored and an RBI. Brueggemann and Meola led the Cowboys by going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and 2-for-4 with five RBIs, respectively.
OSU reliever Tommy Molsky was credited with the win after tossing an inning and two thirds of scoreless relief to improve to 2-0. UCF starter Cade Boxrucker was tagged with the loss to drop to 1-1. The teams combined to use a total of 16 pitchers in the ballgame and Spencer Bauer (2.0 innings), Tyler Nesbitt (1.0 inning) and Kyle Kramer (0.1 inning) all had scoreless outings for the Knights.
UCF will close a five-game homestand on Tuesday when Florida Atlantic visits John Euliano Park. First pitch for the midweek contest is set for 6 p.m. Following Tuesday’s game, the Knights will head to Lawrence, Kansas, next weekend for a three-game Big 12 series at Kansas.