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UCF Holds On to Top No. 18 Texas, 5-4, on Senior Knight

by James Warnick
Box Score

ORLANDO – Matt Prevesk homered early, and senior Danny Neri drove in a big insurance run with an RBI triple in the eighth inning, as UCF held on to defeat No. 18 Texas by a score of 5-4 on Senior Knight at John Euliano Park.

The Knights evened the series with the victory and move 31-16 overall and 12-13 in Big 12 play. Texas, who is currently in third place in the league standings and ranked 18th by Perfect Game and 25th by Baseball America, drops to 31-20 overall and 16-10 in conference with the setback. The rubber match of UCF’s final home series will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m.

With the Black and Gold holding to a 5-3 lead entering the ninth inning, UT’s Jalin Flores led off the frame with a solo home run to make it a one run ballgame at 5-4. UCF reliever Dominic Castellano responded, however, by retiring back-to-back hitters. With the Longhorns down to their final out, Kimble Schuessler battled with Castellano by fouling off a number of pitches, but Castellano managed to win the encounter by striking out Schuessler looking to end the game.

“Dom (Castellano) has been so unbelievable for us. So, despite giving up that home run, we made a decision that he deserved the chance to finish this. He’s been so tough and competitive for us, and that’s exactly what you saw with that final 14 or 15 pitch at-bat. It was outstanding.” head UCF coach Rich Wallace said.

After starter Dom Stagliano retired nine straight Texas hitters, Prevesk broke a scoreless tie with a hard-hit three-run home run to right to give the Knights an early 3-0 lead. Senior Mikey Kluska started the third-inning rally for the Black and Gold by working a one-out walk. Fellow senior Andrew Brait followed with his second hit of the evening with a sharp single to left center to put runners on the corners. Prevesk delivered the big hit with his fifth round tripper of the season with the three-run shot.

The Knights kept things going in the fourth by adding a run to make it 4-0. Senior Anthony Calabro singled and Neri followed by reaching on an error to put runners on first and second with one away. Braden Calise then drove Calabro in from second with an RBI single to right.

With Stagliano having retired all 13 batters he had faced with one out in the fifth, Schuessler managed to hit out a solo home run to left to put the Longhorns on the board and make it a 4-1 game.

After a scoreless sixth, Schuessler tripled home a run for Texas and Porter Brown followed with an RBI single in the seventh to pull the Longhorns within a run at 4-3. Fresh into the game, Castellano managed to preserve the Black and Gold lead by drawing an inning-ending strikeout.

After Castellano retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, UCF senior Matt Cedarburg drew a one-out walk. Fellow senior Keano Suarez then came on to pinch run and quickly stole second. He later moved to third on a wild pitch. Neri then smoked a 1-0 pitch off the right field wall for the clutch RBI triple, as Suarez scored on the play to give the Knights the much-needed insurance run.

“This win was huge,” the senior catcher Suarez said. “The atmosphere tonight was just insane. Coming into home, scoring that run and firing up the boys. Nothing beats it.”

Stagliano took a no-hitter into the fifth and allowed just two hits and three runs while tying a season-high with seven strikeouts to earn his third victory of the season (3-3). The UCF junior also sat down the high-profiled Longhorn offense in order in five of his 6.2 innings on the evening. Castellano then tossed the final 2.1 innings to earn his third save of the year. The southpaw struck out five and gave up just one run on two hits, as Dom and Dom combined to issue just one free pass on the night.

Offensively, Prevesk led the way by going 1-for-2 with a walk, three RBIs and one run scored. Brait and Calise each had two hits apiece, while Calise and Neri each drove in a run. Schuessler paced the Longhorns by going 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored.  

A total of 17 Knights were honored prior to first pitch as part of Senior Knight. The catcher Suarez capped off the festivities by proposing to his girlfriend Ivanna.

“I mentioned to Coach Wallace on Thursday that I was thinking of proposing and he was all for it. He handled everything. He even held the ring for me. Thanks to him it was smooth, and everything went well,” said Suarez. “I’m really glad that it worked out and to share that memory with all of Knight Nation. It’s something that I’ll never forget.”

The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. Following Sunday’s contest, UCF will host Bethune-Cookman in its 2024 home finale on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Black and Gold will then head to Waco for its final Big 12 series of the season May 16-18 at Baylor.

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