DELAND, Fla. – The UCF baseball team scored four runs in the eighth inning but couldn’t overcome a slow start as it dropped an 8-4 midweek contest to Stetson on Tuesday night at Melching Field at Conrad Park.
The Knights fell to 15-8 overall with the setback while the Hatters improved to 12-14 with the victory. Despite the loss, the Black and Gold have still won six of their last eight ballgames.
Stetson got off to a strong start with four runs in the first inning to jump out to an early 4-0 lead. Landon Russell had the big hit in the inning with a two-run double while Samuel Fernandez capped the scoring in the opening frame with an RBI single.
Kevin Schoneboom entered from the bullpen and retired the Hatters in order in the second, but Stetson responded by tacking on another run in the third to extend their lead to 5-0. The Hatters then added a run in the fourth, but Anthony Lariz entered the game on the mound and struck out back-to-back batters to limit the damage.
The Knights looked to get on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, as Jordan Lodise worked a walk and Cayden Gaskin followed with a one-out single. With two outs in the frame, Andrew Williamson then drove a ball to deep center field, but Stetson’s centerfielder Corey Robinson got back to the edge of the warning track to make the play.
Southpaw Wyatt Dion entered the game for his first collegiate appearance for the Knights in the sixth, and the freshman tossed a clean inning with his first career strikeout. Roman Kimball followed with a strong inning of work in the seventh in which he struck out a pair and faced the minimum as well.
The Knights then got on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth, as Andrew Williamson followed a Stephen Chucka double by belting out a two-run home run to deep center field to make it 8-2. The home run marked Williamson’s team-leading fifth of the season and traveled 417 feet and was clocked at 105 MPH off the bat. UCF later loaded the bases with two outs in the frame and picked up another run on a Stetson defensive miscue and one more on a wild pitch to cut the deficit in half at 8-4.
Willy gets us on the board with a two-run 💣 pic.twitter.com/DOKtVATdeq
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 25, 2026
Kimball continued to pitch well in relief for the Black and Gold by punching out two more hitters and retiring the side in order in the last of the eighth. The Knights then looked to rally in the ninth, but Stetson closer Andrew Lepine retired the Black and Gold in order with a trio of groundouts to end the ballgame.
Stetson reliever Ethan Phillips was credited with the win to move to 2-3 on the year while UCF starter Kaniel Rosado was tagged with the loss to drop to 0-1.
Gaskin led the way at the plate by going 2-for-4 while Williamson homered and finished 1-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. The freshman Chucka also had a nice showing by going 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored off the bench. Russell paced Stetson by driving home a game-high three runs on the night.
The contest marked the first of three season meetings between the Knights and Hatters. The two will meet again in Orlando on April 7 as well as on April 29 in neutral-site action in Lakeland at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
On Deck
After four straight games away from home, the Knights will return to John Euliano Park this weekend to host the defending Big 12 Tournament champion Arizona Wildcats for a three-game league series this weekend at John Euliano Park. Friday and Saturday’s games are set for 6 p.m. while Sunday’s finale will begin at 1 p.m.