Coming off a weekend series sweep over UMass, the 19th ranked UCF baseball team (13-5) fought hard against in-state rival N0. 10 Miami (14-3, 3-0 ACC) at Jay Bergman Field on Wednesday night, but could not hold onto a late one-run lead, falling 3-2. It is the third game against a top-10 team that the Knights have lost by only one run.
Canes fans came out in mass, as did the Knights faithful in a grudge match that had emotions running high throughout the entire game.
Ronnie Richardson responded to being placed in the nine spot the game prior by going 3-for-3 at the plate, with one RBI and a walk. Nick Carrillo had another solid outing, with two hits and one RBI. Clutch hitting was not in the recipe as the Knight hit into three double plays.
“Our guys battled like crazy, we got the tying run on the field and the winning run at the plate, and that’s all you can ask for. Regardless of how you played earlier in the game, when you get to that ninth inning, that’s all you can ask for,” UCF coach Terry Rooney said.
Miami set the tone early by taking a 1-0 lead off a Peter O’Brien infield sacrifice RBI. Tyler Palmer scored after being hit by a pitch on a 0-2 count, and advanced to third while trying to steal second on a throwing error.
Travis Shreve knocked a double into deep left and motored around first for a lead off double. He advanced to third on a Sweeney groundout. Richardson earned a walk to put runners at the corners for Hicks. With one out, Hicks grounded into a double play to bail out Miami starter Steven Ewing.
O’Brien countered with a lead off double of his own. Things escalated quickly when a single from Rony Rodriguez sent O’Brien into a pickle between home and third. O’Brien turned and charged UCF catcher Ryan Breen, who was waiting with the ball for the out, and hit him like a NFL fullback.
Following the collision, both benches cleared, UCF’s army led by a fired up Coach Rooney and Shreve, and the teams went face-to-face with each other for several minutes before umpires broke up the chaos. Miami catcher Peter O’Brien was ejected from the game and by this point, fans on both sides were all sorts of fired up.
Breen held onto the ball for the out.
Alex Friedrich lined to left field for a lead off single, stole second, and was driven home on a Nick Carrillo single to tie the game at 1-1. Shreve replaced Carrillo’s spot on first by batting into a fielder’s choice, and was driven home by a sky scrapping triple to the right field corner from Richardson. After five innings played, UCF led 2-1.
With one swing of the bat, Miami’s Tyler Palmer tied the game back up with a bomb over the left field wall against UCF reliever Roman Madrid. Madrid shut down three in a row to end the inning but with three frames left to play, the scored was tied at two a piece.
The top of the eighth featured a lead off single for Miami and an error fielding a bunt committed by Chris Taladay that put a Cane in each corner with no outs. With a tie game hanging in the balance, Madrid struck out one and was relieved by Joe Rogers.
Miami’s Dale Carey hit a line drive to right field that was robbed by a diving catch from Friedrich. The double play was completed because the runner on first did not tag, but the runner on third was declared to have crossed the plate before the double play ended the inning, giving the Canes a 3-2 lead.
With time running out and the Knights at a one-run deficit, Richardson gave the Knights a chance with a lead off single. Two fly outs later, Ryan Breen took the plate, but Richardson was caught stealing to end the threat.
Breen started the ninth inning off right, by reaching on an infield bouncer that Miami second baseman Stephen Perez bobbled. Austin Johnston came in for the Knights and pinch-hit a bunt to advance Breen to second. A strikeout and a groundout later left the Knights 0-4 against top 20 teams this season.
The game was well fought but at the end of the day it’s another big time win the Knights could not hold on to.
The next contest for UCF is a three-game series against Harvard to be played this weekend at Jay Bergman. First pitch of the series is at 6:30 p.m.
