Baseball Drops Tightly Contested Finale to Cincinnati, 10-7Baseball Drops Tightly Contested Finale to Cincinnati, 10-7

Baseball Drops Tightly Contested Finale to Cincinnati, 10-7

by James Warnick
Box Score

CINCINNATI – Despite putting up a game-high 15 hits, the UCF baseball team found itself on the wrong side of a tightly contested 10-7 ballgame in the series finale to Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon at UC Baseball Stadium.

In a game that went back and forth throughout, the Bearcats managed to drive in three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete the three-game sweep.

With the setback, the Knights drop to 17-10 overall and 3-6 in Big 12 play. UC moves to 16-11 and 4-5 in league play with the win.   

With Cincinnati holding to a 1-0 lead in the early stages, the Knights bounced back with a pair of runs in the third to take a 2-1 advantage. After a trio of consecutive singles from DeAmez Ross, Antonio Jimenez and Edian Espinal loaded the bases, Andrew Williamson tied things up with a sacrifice fly to center field. Lex Boedicker then gave the Black and Gold the lead with an RBI groundout to the right side of the infield to bring in Jimenez.

The Bearcats answered in the bottom of the third with four runs of their own to take a 5-2 lead. UC loaded the bases with one away and Christian Mitchelle plated two runs with a two-run single to left to make it 3-2. After a UCF pitching change, Cincinnati again loaded them up on a two-out walk and Charlie Niehaus delivered a two-run single of his own to extend UC’s lead.

UCF responded in the top of the fifth with a trio of runs to tie things up at 5-all. With runners on the corners and one away following singles from Ross and Espinal and a fielder’s choice, Williamson tied things up with one swing of the bat with a three-run home run off the scoreboard in right. The round tripper marked Williamson’s second of the series and his team-leading seventh of the year.

The Knights again threatened in the sixth by loading the bases with two outs in the frame, but UC’s Joel Pineiro pitched out of it by drawing an inning-ending popout to keep it a 5-5 contest.

With Dominic Castellano putting up zeros on the mound in relief, the UCF offense managed to piece together a two-out rally in the seventh to take the lead. Chase Krewson got things going by pulling a double down the rightfield line and Dylan King gave the Black and Gold the lead with a go-ahead two-run home run to right center. King’s homer marked his sixth of the season and traveled 397 feet.

Cincinnati countered again in the bottom of the seventh, however, with two runs of its own to tie things up again at 7-7. After three walks loaded bases with one away, Cal Sefcik plated a run with an RBI single to center. The Bearcats then tied things up on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Charlie Niehaus. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, Donovan Ford then hit a ball to deep center field but UCF’s Ross managed to track it down with a nice catch up against the wall to keep the score tied.

The Black and Gold then gave the Bearcats a couple of free passes in the last of the eighth to put two runners aboard. Camden Wicker came on and struck out the first man he faced for the second out, but UC’s Mitchelle delivered a go-ahead RBI single through the left side that Kerrington Cross managed to get his hand in just before the tag at the plate to give Cincinnati an 8-7 lead. After another free pass loaded the bases with two away, Sefcik added two insurance runs for the Bearcats with a two-run single to extend their lead to 10-7.

The Knights looked to respond in the ninth, as Ohio native and UCF senior Boedicker led off the inning with a sharp double to right center. But Brandon Scheurer came on for the Bearcats and retired the next three batters he faced to end the ballgame.

Cincinnati reliever Hudson Johnson was credited with the win to move to 4-1 while Scheurer earned his third save. UCF’s Kevin Schoneboom was tagged with the loss to drop to 1-1 on the season.

Despite falling in the ballgame, Ross and Espinal each had a four-hit game for the Knights. It marked Ross’ first career four-hit outing as he went 4-for-5 with a run scored, while Espinal too tallied his first four-hit game at the NCAA Division I level by going 4-for-5 with a run scored. Williamson too had a nice game offensively by going 1-for-3 with a game-high four RBIs while King finished 1-for-3 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Sefcik paced Cincinnati by going a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk.

The sweep marked UCF’s first since falling three times at West Virginia last April.

The Knights will now return home to open a four-match homestand on Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Stetson. Following Tuesday’s midweek, UCF will welcome Kansas to John Euliano Park for a three-game league series that will run Friday to Sunday.