• Final stats

The UCF Knights have been playing exceptional baseball, winning 13 of their last 14 games. Their lone loss game came in a 4-3 defeat at the hands of head coach Greg Lovelady’s alma mater, the University of Miami, on March 14.

Despite the recent one-game skid, UCF’s momentum hasn’t been slowed, nor have their bats been affected. That showed in UCF’s 10-0, shutout win of Chicago State University Friday night at John Euliano Park in front of 774 fans.

Sophomore Chris Williams (3-0) started from the mound and remained perfect, so far, this season, pitching 6.0 innings with five strikeouts. The Cougars managed just six hits and one walk against him.

In relief, freshman Jack Sinclair pitched 3.0 shutout, hitless innings with four strikeouts. Sinclair bounced back from his previous outing against the Bradley Braves, wherein he allowed five earned runs on five hits and two walks in just 1.2 innings.

As for the Knights’ offense, Matthew Mika led the way with three RBIs on a game-best 3-for-4 hitting night, also adding two runs.

One of Mika’s RBIs and one of his runs came in the Knights’ four-run fourth inning. Already leading 2-0, UCF piled on seven more runs in the fourth and fifth innings to effectively quell any chance at a comeback.

First baseman Rylan Thomas drew a lead-off walk, and Mika followed him with an RBI double to left field for a 3-0 lead. After catcher Logan Heiser singled and designated hitter Dallas Beaver walked to load the bases, freshman Dalton Wingo drilled a bases-clearing, two-out double to center field for UCF’s fourth, fifth and sixth runs.

UCF loaded the bases, again, in the fifth inning. After shortstop Brandon Hernandez scored from third on a fielder’s choice, Heiser walked with Tyler Osik and Thomas already on base.

That set up center fielder Ray Alejo for a two-RBI single to right field, driving in Osik and Thomas for the 9-0 advantage.

Mika started the scoring in the first inning, as he sent the first pitch of his first at-bat over the left-field wall to also bring home Thomas.

Beaver capped the scoring in the seventh with a solo shot on a 1-0 pitch.

The Cougars managed two hits in each of the first and fourth innings, but Williams picked off two base runners at first to mitigate the offensive threat.

Who’s Next?

UCF continues its three-game, home series with the Cougars on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m.

For more on the Knights, as they continue their battle with Chicago State, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

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