UCF Knights win big, then suffer blowout loss

After landing in Memphis to suffer a blowout to open their three-game series on the diamond, the Knights went on to take the next two in dominating fashion. Losing the first game 6-1, they went on to pile on a run differential of 16-3 total.

In game two, when the Knights found their bats and spread out a 9-2 victory over the course of four rallies, Robby Howell went eight innings and didn’t give up an earned run to improve to 6-0 on the season. Center fielder Luke Hamblin, who collected two RBI — more than any other player in the game — didn’t reach base once, batting in a runner each on ground-ball squeeze-play sacrifices.

In the final game, UCF’s Juan Pimentel improved his record to 2-4 when he pitched 8.1 innings of eight-strikeout, five-hit, one-run ball before handing it off to Trent Thompson to retire the side.

But when the Knights took a break from American Athletic Conference play to host No. 12 Florida Atlantic, they were in for the fight of their season. In a wild pitchers’ duel that featured 13 pitchers, 11 of whom gave up zero runs through 10 innings, neither team managed a score until the top of the 11th.

When the Owls sent the bottom of the order to the plate in that final inning, suddenly the bats woke up. After shutting down FAU in the 10th, UCF reliever Andrew Deramo beaned a batter, then gave up a double and two singles. When head coach Terry Rooney sent reliever Drew Faintich to the mound to clean up the damage, it only got worse. A stolen base, a bases-clearing double, then three wild pitches to three straight batters added three more runs.

There was nothing the Knights could do in their last frame, as FAU shutdown man Alex House closed it out with 5-0 on the scoreboard.

The Knights travel to Houston for a three-game series starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Rollins

The Tars trashed Cornell and then took two games from Lynn over a five-day span before falling apart in the last game of the weekend.

Tyler Fairbanks’ bat exploded in a 4-for-5 performance in the second game against Cornell (8-9) last Wednesday, when the Tars won 13-5.

Grant Ashline teed off on Lynn’s pitching in the first game of their double-header Sunday, collecting three hits in five at-bats and three RBI. Chris Corbett blasted his sixth home run of the year as part of two rallies that tacked on enough runs to cruise to a 12-3 win. Meanwhile Rollins’ Brad Case held off Lynn’s offense with a two-strikeout, 6.2-inning start.

By the time game three rolled around Sunday afternoon the Tars had already taken the series, and Lynn (35-15-1) fought back, especially right fielder John Silviano, who blasted in five RBI on two home runs. Rollins would expend eight pitchers in the lopsided slugfest, with the second pitcher of the day, Brett Scafidi, taking most of the damage and doing most of the mound work as he gave up four earned runs in 3.1 innings.

At 6 p.m. tonight the Tars host Ave Maria. The Gyrenes are 14-26 this season. At 6 p.m. Friday Rollins hosts Florida Southern (23-7), then a doubleheader against Florida Southern the next day starting at 1 p.m.

Winter Park

The Wildcats didn’t need much help from their offense when they shut out Oak Ridge (8-14) on Tuesday night, but they got it anyway, scoring 11 runs in the lopsided win. That lifted them to 16-5 on the season heading into the final week of regular season play.

Winter Park hosts Manatee (7-13) at 7 p.m. tonight, then travel to Seminole (12-10) for a 7 p.m. start Friday, then return home to host Lake Nona (12-9) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Edgewater

The Eagles rose to 10-10 on the season after batting around on Seabreeze (8-12) in a 6-0 win Tuesday.

The Eagles opened up the game with a five-run first inning then cruised from there on the arm of Hayden Bhavsar, who pitched a four-hit complete game shutout, allowing only one walk. Edgewater had six stolen bases in the game.

Edgewater will host Ocoee (10-12) at 4 p.m. today, then travel to Seabreeze for a 6 p.m. first pitch tomorrow, then travel to Wekiva (3-17) for a 4:30 p.m. start on Monday.