After a long, miserable road trip in which UCF (6-6, 20-17) dropped six consecutive games to put them in an 0-7 slump, the bats came alive this weekend as the Knights won two of three games in Houston.
Coming into the series against Rice (7-5, 25-13), UCF had been outscored 19-33 in their past seven games, while the Owls had won six of their last eight.
The tone for the series was set in the first game by Chris Matulis, who threw a gem for eight complete innings, striking out four while working out of multiple jams to allow just one earned run. Matulis went into the ninth looking for the complete game, but was pulled after allowing two leadoff singles.
The Knights’ offense provided plenty of run support for their man on the bump, putting two runs up in both the second and fifth inning, and adding one for insurance in the sixth. Left fielder Parker Webster sparked the production by crossing the plate both the times he reached base.
The first run came in the bottom of the second inning after Webster drew a leadoff walk, and made his way to third on the strength of a Jeramy Matos double to left. Brett Gordon was able to single with the bases loaded to bring home Webster. Webster scored again in the fifth to follow up his own two bagger, scoring on a single down the left field line.
When it came down to it, the effort from Matulis to keep working efficiently after allowing base runners – the Owls left 13 runners on base – was the key to the 5-1 victory.
Saturday’s late inning thriller clinched the series for UCF, as they pulled out a 11-7 victory in 12 innings.
Knights’ ace Ben Lively went seven innings deep in another efficient outing, but was unable to come away with the win due to some ninth inning heroics from the Owls. UCF touted a three run lead over Rice headed into the bottom of the frame thanks to solid contribution from both Parker Webster and James Vasquez, who had 2 RBIs apiece.
Zac Favre set the kindling for the rally, failing to retire any of the four batters he faced in the ninth. He walked the leadoff man, and was put in a hole when an error put runners on first and second. Back to back singles followed, and spelled the end for Favre, who was charged with just one earned run though he left with the bases loaded.
Spencer Davis came in to relive Favre, and worked out of the inning while limiting the damage to just two more runs.
There was no sign of resolution until the twelfth inning, when UCF exploded to put four decisive runs on the board. Parker Webster scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, and two runs scored on Tommy Johnson’s single. Danny Davis pitched his third shutout inning in the bottom of the inning to earn the win, retiring 9 of the 14 batters he faced.
Unfortunately the good vibrations wouldn’t continue into the series finale. The Knights failed to complete the sweep, losing 7-6 after giving up what would prove to be an insurmountable six runs in the seventh.
Tyler Martin was charged with the loss, but only faced two batters in the seventh after he was brought in with the bases loaded. He had obvious command issues, walking in a run, and then allowing another to score on a wild pitch before loading the bases with a second walk.
Martin was yanked quickly, and Rooney called on the services of Brian Adkins. Adkins fought through to the end of the inning, but allowed four runs to score on two RBI singles in the process.
UCF put just two more runs on the board after the disastrous seventh – one each in the eighth and ninth. It was not enough however, and the Knights moved to 2-7 on the road trip.
The team comes home Tuesday to a Florida Atlantic team who is having an excellent season, sitting 12 games above .500 at 24-12. Brian Adkins, the shutdown guru of Saturday’s extra inning spectacle, will take the hill for UCF.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Jay Bergman Field on Tuesday night.
