The usually potent UCF baseball team’s (35-10, 13-5 C-USA) batting order fell silent in the series decider on Sunday at Jay Bergman Field, losing 1-0 to the Memphis Tigers (20-24, 7-11 C-USA) and dropping their first weekend series of the season.
It has been nine games since the Knights were last shut out and it has only happened three other times this year. Memphis pitcher Chase Joiner tossed a gem of a game, going the distance and only allowing five hits and two walks against the Knights.
The lone bright spot from the loss was UCF pitcher Brian Adkins, pitching a career night to match the outing of Joiner. Adkins tossed a complete game as well, only allowing one run and eight hits.
“He threw a great game, I have to tip my hat to him,” Adkins said of Joiners outing. “There’s not a whole lot you can do, it was a great battle.”
The Adkins outing was pivotal considering the Knights bullpen was in need of some rest and if anything, they can write this game off as an investment to the end of the season.
“Brian Adkins threw a terrific game,” Coach Terry Rooney said. “Brian definitely picked up the pitching staff today, there’s no question, and we needed it. He pitched his heart out and what a game, tough one-nothing loss, but what a game.”
The Tigers scored first in the top of the sixth inning, breaking a 0-0 tie through the first five. Adam McClain doubled to left-center and worked his way over to third on a deep lineout to right. Derrick Thomas brought in the go ahead run on an RBI single to left field.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ronnie Richardson nearly tied it up when he hit a double off the top of the left field wall with one out. Ryan Breen almost hit a two-run lead changer on the next at-bat but was traced down at the warning track. D.J. Hicks grounded out to first to end the threat; it was the first time the Knights threatened since the first couple innings.
Alex Friedrich gave the Knights some hope in the bottom of the ninth with one out, after a fly ball to deep left was dropped when two Tigers converged on the ball allowing Friedrich to reach second. Jomarcos Woods moved Friedrich to third on a groundout to first. With two outs, a man on third and the game on the line, Jeramy Matos grounded out to third to the end the ballgame.
“We need to get better, we haven’t done anything yet, we haven’t. It’s very apparent that we need to get better as a team because we’re not there yet,” Coach Rooney said after the disappointing weekend. However, the Knights will take the loss in stride, learn from it and prepare for a very tough Wednesday showdown at Stetson at 6:30 p.m.
