ORLANDO, Fla. – Greg Lovelady kept it simple after the UCF Knights’ losses to Rice University and Samford University to close out his team’s opening weekend.

“We didn’t deserve to win the game,” Lovelady said after each loss, dropping UCF to 1-2 to start the season for the first time since 2007.

Coming off a 6-3, opening-night win over the 19th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers, fans and the Knights alike, perhaps, didn’t expect this end to the weekend. The Knights used timely hitting and error-less defense to beat UVA, but both were lacking in UCF’s Saturday-night and Sunday-afternoon games.

The Knights lost to Rice and Samford by two scores of 5-4. 

Sophomore Joe Sheridan got the start against Rice, pitching 6.0 innings with four strikeouts, three hits and no runs allowed. Eric Hepple suffered the loss after allowing two earned runs, two walks and two hits in just one inning.

Against Samford, Jordan Spicer pitched 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts, allowing four hits, four runs (two earned) and a walk in the start. Closer Bryce Tucker had an unusual performance, suffering the loss in a two-inning save attempt. He allowed five hits and three runs (two earned), striking out just one batter.

Defense Falters, Offense Halts, as Owls Beat Knights Late

Trailing 5-2, UCF attempted a comeback with two outs already recorded and no runners on base. The Knights scored the first runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth but were held scoreless until the ninth.

After Chandler Robertson struck out looking and Griffin Bernardo grounded out, the next three batters hit consecutive base hits: two to left field, one to center. Brandon Hernandez started the effort, and second baseman Matthew Mika followed him. Ray Alejo, who finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run, drove in Hernandez to make it a 5-3 game.

After Alejo and Mika stole second and third, respectively, sophomore Rylan Thomas was walked to load the bases. UCF’s fate rested in the hands of outfielder Max Wood, who was pinch-hitting for Dallas Beaver. Wood’s effort ended in vain, though, as he lined out to Rice shortstop Ford Proctor to end the game.

“It didn’t sound very good off the bat, but it was floating up there and was hoping it was gonna get over,” Lovelady said after the Rice loss. “… Proud of the guys. They did come back in that last inning really fighting. Two outs, nobody on, for us to score two runs, get the bases loaded–that’s a great job of, you know, just trying to get the next guy up.”

The Knights’ loss to Rice was a grueling four hours and 12 minutes, as the sixth inning alone lasted just under an hour. But that’s where the action started in UCF’s first loss of the season, as the Knights scored the first runs of the game then.

With one out, Alejo walked and eventually made his way to third after stealing consecutive bases. Beaver was then hit by a pitch, placing runners on the corners and bringing UCF’s leader in home runs last season, Thomas, to the plate.

Thomas flied out to center field, allowing Alejo to score the first run of the game. Beaver made his way to third on a wild pitch, and Tyler Osik’s base hit to left field gave the Knights a 2-0 lead.

“We gotta be mentally tough enough to handle the tempo change. Gotta try to make our own tempo, and, you know, it’s tough,” Lovelady said. “[Rice] slowed the game down a lot, but we gotta be able to handle that. It’s part of the game, and [it’s] the crazy thing about no clock.

“It’s not what we would prefer to play, but, you know, you gotta adjust to the circumstances be tough enough mentally to handle whatever the other team’s giving you, and we didn’t do that [after the sixth].”

UCF Loses to Samford Despite Bulldogs’ Costly Errors

Were it not for two Samford errors, the Knights would’ve been without two of their runs in the loss on Feb. 18. Despite Samford’s giveaways and UCF’s 4-2, ninth-inning lead, UCF couldn’t stave off Samford’s late-game comeback

The Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the ninth, as UCF was held to just one run in the final five innings.

Trailing 4-2 in the final inning, Samford started its comeback with a lead-off base hit by first baseman Austin Edens. That was followed by Tucker’s lone strikeout of the day and another single by freshman Brooks Carlson.

Outfielder Ayrton Schafer, then, sent another base hit down the left field line to drive in Sam McWhorter, who was pinch-running for Edens, to make it a 4-3 game.

Pinch hitter Ryan Crockett delivered Samford its game-winner with a single to right field, where Knights outfielder Brody Wofford allowed the ball to get by him for an error and the game-tying and go-ahead runs.

“Again, we pitched well. Played good defense there ’til the ninth, with that one ball in right field, but, you know, we didn’t really deserve to win the game, I think,” Lovelady said after his team’s second loss. “Offensively, we didn’t do enough, really.

“They gave us a couple runs just by not being able to play catch, and, you know, that was about the only way we were able to score.”

UCF scored its first runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth, as Alejo escaped a pickle between third and home and scored when Bulldogs catcher Anthony Mulrine erroneously threw it down the left-field line.

Robertson pinch hit for designated hitter Dalton Wingo and singled to right field, driving in Wofford and Beaver to complete the Knights’ three-run fourth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Robertson started the Knights’ comeback effort with a full-count, lead-off walk.

“You know, for eight innings, we didn’t have many good at-bats. I mean, Chandler came in, had a great pinch hit there to give us the lead and [a] walk to lead off the line. He did a great job today,” Lovelady said.

Who’s Next?

UCF travels to Stetson University for its first road game of the season. The Hatters are 3-0 after sweeping Manhattan College and out-scoring the Jaspers 17-7 in three games.

For more on the Knights, as they look to bounce back from their worst start in over a decade, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com.