• Final stats

The UCF Knights looked to redeem themselves from the March 20 loss to the Florida State Seminoles but ended up getting blown out instead.

UCF (17-6) lost 13-3 to FSU (18-4) in Tallahassee on Wednesday afternoon.

Junior Thad Ward (2-2) started and pitched 5.0 innings, giving up six hits, four runs and walking three batters. Ward also struck out eight batters. Relievers Cre Finfrock, Jeffrey Hakanson, Luis Ferrer and Jack Sinclair finished the game, as Hakanson allowed four earned runs on a hit and two walks, recording no outs.

For the Seminoles, right-handed pitcher C.J. Van Eyk started and pitched most of the game, lasting 3.1 innings and giving up three earned runs on three hits and four walks.

Relief pitcher Clayton Kwiatkowski (3-0) was credited with the win, pitching 2.2 innings while allowing no runs on two hits with a team-high five strikeouts.

Already leading 4-3, the Seminoles added to their lead in the final three innings, scoring three runs off Finfrock in the sixth, recording four runs off Hakanson in the seventh and finishing the game with two runs in the eighth.

Senior Steven Wells and shortstop Mike Salvatore started the sixth with walks before being driven in by outfielder Jackson Lueck. Two batters later, Lueck found his way home on a throwing error from third base.

In the seventh, a wild pitch allowed sophomore J.C. Flowers to score the inning’s first run. One batter later, sophomore Nick Derr smashed a three-run bomb over the left-field wall for an 11-3 lead.

The Knights started strong, scoring two of their three runs in the first inning. After both sophomore Rylan Thomas and junior Matthew Mika walked, redshirt junior Tyler Osik doubled down the left-field line to put the Knights up 2-0 with his only hit of the day.

Florida State responded to that two-run first inning with three runs in the bottom frame.

Lueck scored off a double from senior Rhett Aplin to give the Seminoles their first run. Catcher Cal Raleigh singled to put two runners on base before Aplin scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Drew Mendoza. The final run of the inning came from Raleigh when senior Rafael Bournigal doubled to left-center field.

After two scoreless innings, the Knights scored their last run of the game in the fourth when sophomore Dallas Beaver scored from third base after shortstop Brandon Hernandez flied out to left field to tie the game 3-3.

The Seminoles, though, retook the lead in the same inning, as Flowers scored from second on a base hit by Salvatore.

Who’s Next?

The Knights return home for the first game of a three-game home series with East Carolina University to open American Athletic Conference play on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

For more on the Knights, as they prepare to start conference play, follow Nick Santiago on Twitter at @NickSantiagoUCF.