TAMPA, Fla. – Andrew Williamson hit out a two-run first-inning home run and Antonio Jimenez followed with a grand slam in the frame en route to leading UCF baseball to a 12-1 run-rule victory over rival South Floria on Saturday afternoon at USF Baseball Stadium.
Black and Gold starter Wiley Hartley also pitched well on the day, as he allowed just one run on three hits while striking out five over 6.0 innings. The 6.0 innings of work tied a career-long for Hartley.
The Knights (7-3) will look to take the series on Sunday as the final and decisive game is set for 1 p.m.
“We asked for a response and the guys came to the park ready to go,” head UCF coach Rich Wallace said. “It showed in the first inning with some crucial at-bats, including the home run from Willy (Andrew Williamson) and the two-out grand slam from Antonio (Jimenez). And Wiley Hartley did what you think a senior captain would do on the mound, as he was in control the whole time.”
With Edian Espinal on the base paths after taking one for the team with one out in the top of the first, Williamson blasted out a two-run home run to right field to make it 2-0 Knights. The homer marked his third of the season and traveled 415 feet off the bat. UCF wasn’t done in the frame, as Lex Boedicker singled, and Braden Calise and Chase Krewson worked back-to-back walks to load the bases with two away. Jimenez followed by belting out a line-drive grand slam to left to make it 6-0. Jimenez’s round tripper marked his second of the series and was clocked at 108 MPH off the bat. It also marked UCF's first grand slam in the first inning of a game in nearly 15 years, as Derek Luciano last hit out a grand slam in the opening inning on March 14, 2010 against Hartford.
What a first inning.
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 1, 2025
Two-Run Homer AND a Grand Slam 💣💥@AndrewWGNF11 | @Antonio_13J pic.twitter.com/8cX5ntVy1A
With UCF starter Hartley having tossed three scoreless innings and retired eight straight batters, the Knights added to their lead by manufacturing a run in the fourth. Espinal and Williamson reached base and then moved over to second and third on a sacrifice bunt from Aris Rivera. Lex Boedicker followed by driving in Espinal in with a sac fly to left to make it 7-0.
After Hartley struck out back-to-back Bulls to start the bottom of the fourth to cap a stretch in which he retired 10 straight batters, USF’s Sebastian Greico got the Bulls on the board a solo homer to right to make it 7-1.
The Knights added to their lead in the sixth, as Boedicker ripped a two-run triple down the rightfield line to extend UCF’s lead to 9-1. Jimenez later drove in his fifth run of the game with an RBI single through the left side of the infield and Dylan King followed by reaching on an error to bring in Chase Krewson and make it 11-1.
The Black and Gold again loaded the bases in the top of the seventh and Boedicker drove in his fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 12-1.
UCF reliver Russell Sandefer then came on and retired South Florida in order in the last of the seventh to seal the victory via the run rule.
Hartley earned his second win of the season to move to 2-0 while USF starter James Hill was tagged with the loss to fall 0-2.
Wiley was dealin’ today @_wileyhartley
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 1, 2025
6.0 IP
3 H
1 R
5 K
1 BB pic.twitter.com/dRIHikyxm5
“This win meant a lot. We had to bounce back immediately, and it felt good to do so,” Hartley said. “I had DK (Dylan King) back there and was confident and just had to pound the zone. We knew we had to fight back and get this one.”
Jimenez led the Knights offensively by going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and his first career grand slam. Boedicker was next by going 2-for-3 with four runs batted in and two runs scored, while Espinal and Krewson added two hits apiece. Greico led the Bulls by going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
The rubber match of the series will come on Sunday at 1 p.m. at USF Baseball Stadium. The game will air live on ESPN+ as well as on the radio at FM 96.9 The Game. Following Sunday’s finale, UCF will return to John Euliano Park to host No. 6 Florida on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
All Even in Tampa pic.twitter.com/DL2kaxanQp
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 1, 2025