• Final stats

ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF Knights had a brief intermission before winning their second game of a double-header 2-0 against Siena College Saturday evening at John Euliano Park.

The Knights’ (12-3) strong pitching performance and quality defense were the keys, yet again, against the Saints (0-13) to keep their winning streak going at 11 in a row.

“It’s not easy to win double-headers, so I am proud of the guys for that,” UCF head coach Greg Lovelady said after the win. “We’ll see how tough we are with three games in 24 hours and the time change, too.

Junior starting pitcher Thad Ward (1-1) pitched 7.0 innings with 10 strikeouts and gave up only one walk and three hits on 95 pitches.

“The memo here is to trust the guy in front of you and behind you,” Ward said. “It isn’t just me. The whole crew [of] relievers, too, are a part of success.”

Tommy Miller (0-4) started for Siena, allowing five hits, two runs and one walk while striking out seven in 7.0 innings.

Unlike the opening game of the double-header, UCF got out to a much quicker start, scoring one run in the second and third innings.

In the second, sophomore catcher Dallas Beaver reached first base on an error. He later stole second base during the at-bat of freshman right fielder Dalton Wingo, who doubled shortly after to bring the Knights their first run of the game.

Later in the third inning, center fielder Ray Alejo started the bottom frame with a single to left field. Alejo, then, got into scoring position by advancing to second on a wild pitch and then stealing third base two batters later. First baseman Rylan Thomas allowed Alejo to score with a sacrifice fly to center field for the final run of the game.

Not only was the starting pitching effective, but the relievers were as well. Junior Garrett Westberg took over for Ward in the eighth inning, retiring the side with two strikeouts and a flyout.

Westberg recorded one more strikeout in the ninth before being replaced by junior pitcher Bryce Tucker, who struck out his final two batters while having a runner on second due to a throwing error.

Who’s Next?

The Knights will finish their three-game series against Siena Sunday morning at the new time of 11:00 a.m. due to inclement weather.

For more on the Knights, as they look to continue their win streak, follow Carl-Max Millionard on Twitter at @cmillionard3.