The sequel to the first game of the Boston College (4-1) at UCF (4-2) three-game series was just as exciting and just as close as Game 1, however this time the Knights ended up on
the loosing end of a game that went back and fourth and down to the last out.
“Obviously it was a great college baseball game, back and forth, the entire time both teams battling right ‘till the end. Baseball is a game of momentum and I thought our guys fought all night long,” Coach Terry Rooney said. “We put four runs up and then gave up three, it is what it is.”
UCF starting pitcher Brian Adkins retired three straight batters, escaping a pinch when a lead off walk followed by a double from Tom Bourdon put two Eagles in scoring position with no outs.
Shortstop Darnell Sweeney got things going with a lead off single. After a clean steal of second, Sweeney scored for the Knights when an error on a routine groundball hit by Chris Taladay allowed Sweeney to advance home from second.
Tom Bourdin hit a single to bring in a run for the Eagles and Anthony Melchionda tagged Knights pitcher Adkins also for a single. The tough bounce allowed another run to score giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead. Matt Pare singled to center to drive in another, and Spenser Payne hit a grounder threw the second base gap to add one more. The Eagles led 4-1 in the bottom of the third.
After giving up a lead off hit in the fourth, Rooney saw enough and brought in right-hander Matt Collins. Collins forced a 1-4-3 double play and popped up the next batter to cool down a hot hitting Eagles line up.
The production continued however for the Eagles in the fifth when an infield single was followed by a run scoring double from Pare.
The Knights responded with a Taladay double to deep right, a Ryan Breen single to put runners at the corners, and a sacrifice grounder from James Vasquez to bring Taladay home.
Alex Friedrich drew a walk, to put a Knight at each corner again, and Nick “C-Lo” Carrillo put a laser into the shortstops ankles, forcing an error and scoring the second run of the inning. The Knights trailed 5-3 after five.
In the bottom of the sixth, Sweeney started the inning by reaching on an infield hit, followed by Ronnie Richardson earning a free pass to first. Taladay drove a single to right field to bring Sweeney home. With the bases loaded, Vasquez lined a single to center to tack on two more. Friedrich contributed a sacrifice fly to bring the damage to four runs on the inning.
After a pivotal sixth inning, the Knights claimed the lead with a score of 7-5.
In the top of the seventh, bases loaded for the Eagles and two outs, Knights pitcher Matt Collins walked in a run forcing Coach Rooney to go to lefty Eric Skogland from the bullpen. Skogland walked in the tying run, as the crowd graciously offered their opinion of the umpires’ noticeably smaller strike zone.
Skogland walked in another, giving the Eagles an 8-7 advantage with only three frames left. A pop-up finally got the Knights out of the inning but not after relinquishing a late lead.
The Knights would not manage to reclaim the lead as they fell to the Eagles 8-7 in another close game, bringing the series to a 1-1 tie. Tyler Hinchliffe was the winning pitcher and Knights reliever Matt Collins would take his second loss of the season.
A series winner will be decided tomorrow at noon, at Jay Bergmann Field.
