Baseball Shuts Out Siena in Game Two of Opening SeriesBaseball Shuts Out Siena in Game Two of Opening Series

Baseball Shuts Out Siena in Game Two of Opening Series

by Nick Porcelli
Box Score

ORLANDO – Thanks to strong pitching and timely hitting, the UCF baseball team clinched the season-opening series over Siena with an 11-0 victory on Saturday night at John Euliano Park. This was the first time that the Black and Gold earned a shutout win since they defeated Jacksonville 6-0 on March 26, 2024.

The Knights (2-0) would first get on the board in the bottom of the second, thanks to a two-RBI single hit by sophomore shortstop Antonio Jimenez. And from then on, the Knights wouldn’t look back, scoring a minimum of one run in five of the next innings.

UCF would score one run in the third via an Andrew Sundean RBI single. DeAmez Ross would then kick off a three-run fourth inning with an RBI single of his own. After Jimenez scored on an Andrew Williamson fielder’s choice, Ross would reach home on a passed ball to give the Black and Gold a 6-0 lead.

After extending their lead to 7-0 in the seventh thanks to a Chase Krewson RBI single, the Knights would explode in the bottom of the eighth by scoring four runs, which came from a bases-clearing RBI double hit by Krewson and an RBI single from Kendrey Maduro.

In total, the Black and Gold combined for 12 hits, with nine batters recording at least one hit and five at least one RBI. Krewson led the way at the plate by going 3-for-5 with four runs batted in and a run scored, while Lex Boedicker went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three runs scored and Jimenez finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.

“We manufactured some things,” UCF head coach Rich Wallace said. “We ran. We hit with some guys in spots. At one point I think we had six runs on six hits, so that’s about as efficient as you can get offensively. And then Chase blew the thing open at the end.”

Senior pitcher Wiley Hartley would get the win in his season debut. His performance started off a bit rocky in the first inning, in which he walked three consecutive batters. But he quickly found his grove, striking out the next four batters he faced. In five innings pitched, he faced 20 batters, allowed just three hits and struck out five batters.

Hartley’s performance was followed up by a dominant performance by the arms that came out of the bullpen. First out was Dominic Castellano. In his season debut, he pitched three perfect innings, striking out five batters and retiring all nine batters he faced. He ended his night by striking out the side in order in the eighth.

“Just attacking the zone early, and it worked out,” Castellano said. “I was able to get some swings and late counts after getting ahead early.”

UCF would bring in transfer Carter Stanford to close things in the top of the ninth and he would make quick work of the Siena (0-2) batters, striking out the side to secure the win for the Knights. Those strikeouts would give the Black and Gold staff a total of 13 punchouts on the night. It also concluded a stretch in which the UCF pitching staff ended the game by retiring 18 straight batters and all three pitchers had an inning where they struck out the side.

“It was really cool to see guys go out and compete,” Hartley said. “You know the back half didn’t have a walk either. I had the three walks, but then they just went out and shut it all down. So that was great to see.”

The Knights will look to finish its opening series with a sweep on Sunday at noon at John Euliano Park. Grant Siegel will get the start for the Knights, in what will be his first-ever appearance in a UCF uniform. The Black and Gold will then host Missouri on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. before starting a three-game home series against Bryant, with the first game scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m.