A week after being swept in the series with the Liberty Flames, the UCF Knights closed out their series with the North Florida Ospreys winning 3-2 to close out the series 3-1.
Sunday’s game was the final in a four-game series for the Knights against the Ospreys, where UCF won its first two games on Wednesday and Friday, 10-0 and 6-2, respectively.
Saturday’s game in Jacksonville was a return to sluggish form for the Knights as they gave up 16 hits to the victorious Ospreys leading to a 14-7 loss to bring the series to 2-1.
The Knights entered Sunday’s game against the Ospreys to determine the winner of the series.
UCF redshirt senior right fielder Jordan Rathbone got things going for the Knights as he homered off North Florida pitcher Tony Roca deep over left field to put UCF on the board at the bottom of the first inning.
Rathbone ran in another run for the Knights after sophomore first baseman Ben McCabe grounded out to shortstop to end the third inning 2-0 for the Knights.
Staring senior pitcher A.J. Jones was not in the lineup Sunday afternoon. Instead, junior Jack Sinclair took the mound pitching six innings. The right-handed pitcher allowed only three hits, no runs and five strikeouts in 19 at-bats to keep the Knights at a 2-0 lead utill the end of the sixth inning.
Things quickly took a turn at the top of the seventh as North Florida sophomore left fielder Grant Grodi hit one deep to left-center field off Knights’ freshman right-handed pitcher Ben Vespi to drive in two runs for the Ospreys.
With the one hit, the game was tied up 2-2 at the top of the seventh inning. UCF right-handed pitcher David Litchfield took the mound in the eighth inning to take over as the Knights’ closer.
UCF fans were left stunned as boisterous cheers of “U-N-F” filled the stands of John Euliano Park. After a scoreless eighth inning, it came down to the ninth inning to determine the game.
At the top of the ninth, the bases were loaded for the Ospreys with Austin Bogart at-bat before grounding out to shortstop as the double play was made by the Knights to end the top of the ninth inning.
It came down to the Knights to score and win the game and series at the bottom of the ninth inning.
After UCF junior catcher Josh Crouch singled to center field and McCabe was walked to first base, the game came down to freshman pinch hitter John Montes.
Montes struck out looking as a 91 mph fastball that Osprey pitcher Brandon Reitz threw right over home plate to extend the game into a tenth inning.
The last inning would again come down to the Knights to close out the game, as the top of the last inning was scoreless by the Ospreys.
With a man at first, UCF sophomore infielder Tom Josten hit a double to right field — bringing in freshman outfielder Paul Ruiz — to close out the game for the Knights.
The team ran from the dugout and charged the field, and a loud roar of cheers from fans filled the stands at John Euliano Park.
UCF head coach Greg Lovelady said winning the series against the Ospreys was big, but said the team lacked consistency.
“The consistency is the biggest thing for us right now,” Lovelady said. “We show glimpses of greatness and some days we just don’t show up. At the end of the day that comes down on me.”
Lovelady said it’s his responsibility to ensure the team is showing up and prepared, no matter who they may face that week.
“I’m not doing a good enough job to get them to show up every single day to do their job no matter who we’re playing,” he said.
With the win, the Knights finished the weekend series 3-1 over the Ospreys to improve to 6-9 overall for the season.
The Knights will return home to John Euliano Park Tuesday at 6 p.m. where they will take on the FAU Owls at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
