• Final stats

ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF Knights’ series opener with the Wichita State Shockers was an important game on many levels.

With regard to baseball, it was a chance for UCF to return to .500 in American Athletic Conference play. On another level, the Knights honored the late Joe Skinner, a UCF commit from Bishop Moore High School who died of cancer in April 2016.

UCF (28-14, 8-8 in AAC) defeated the Shockers (27-13, 4-9 in AAC) 9-5 at John Euliano Park Friday night in front of an announced attendance of 1,252.

“Just knowing that he’s supposed to be in our dugout just means a lot to me,” head coach Greg Lovelady said after the win. “It means a lot to a lot of the players that grew up with him and stuff and just to do our part… And not only that he’s supposed to be in our dugout but somebody that cared [about] and loved UCF so much and wanted to be here so bad.”

After trailing 2-0 early, the Knights generated offense by drawing four walks and managing two crucial hits to claim an 8-2 advantage by the end of the fourth.

Catcher Logan Heiser was hit by a pitch on a 3-0 count to start the bottom of the third. One strikeout later, center fielder Ray Alejo walked, and both runners advanced to scoring positions on an ensuing wild pitch. First baseman Rylan Thomas, then, drew a full-count, one-out walk to load the bases for the first time in the contest.

Left fielder Tyler Osik took advantage of the opportunity and recorded a bases-clearing double down the left-field line, UCF’s first hit of the game. After advancing on a flyout to right, Osik scored on a passed ball for a 4-2 lead.

Almost the exact same sequence of events occurred in the fourth, as the Knights loaded the bases with a hit by pitch and two walks. This time, it was Alejo who notched the crucial hit, as he tripled down the left-field line to add three more runs for UCF.

Alejo scored the Knights’ eighth run on a sacrifice fly to right field by Thomas.

“You know, we had [the] same situation back-to-back innings, and, somehow, two balls go down the line just by the third baseman,” Alejo said after the win. “And, I mean, I don’t think that’s coincidence.

“I mean, Joe was with us today, and he definitely wanted us to win. I know he was proud of that.”

Wichita State sparked a late, three-run rally beginning in the seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough. The Shockers out-scored the Knights 3-1 in the final three innings, scoring runs on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk in the seventh and a single by third baseman Alec Bohm in the eighth.

The Knights’ pitching began to falter behind senior Eric Hepple, who went 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on one hit and three walks. In the seventh alone, Hepple walked three and allowed a base hit to load the bases before closer Thad Ward took over.

Ward walked his first batter for the Shockers’ fourth run but ultimately ended the game with a four-strikeout, three-hit performance in the final 2.1 innings.

“I mean, again, just throwing strikes. We just had zero command,” Lovelady said. “Good job of getting out of it. Hepp comes in there with the guys on and shuts down that inning but then just goes out and walks a bunch of guys and puts a bunch of bases on, and Thad comes in and was just okay in that inning but got out of it without too much damage.

“Still, that next inning, he was, you know, still just erratic. Just not as crisp as they have been, those two guys especially. Of course, Thad figures it out in the ninth and really gets back into it and pitches like he should, that inning.”

The sunset-lit matchup started slowly for UCF, as righty Cre Finfrock (5-0) gave up a one-out, two-run home run in the first inning. Finfrock hit the batter directly before Bohm smashed a ball over the center-field wall.

That was all the Shockers could manage for the next five innings, though, as Finfrock threw 5.0 more scoreless innings, totaling five strikeouts and allowing two runs on four hits and three walks.

“I really just took it one pitch at a time,” Finfrock said after the win. “Took a lot of time in between pitches. Really, just taking one pitch at a time. Really, nothing to it. I kinda just…trusted my defense behind me and let the other team do the work for me.”

Who’s Next?

UCF and the Shockers play Game 2 at John Euliano Park Saturday night at 6:30 p.m.

For more on the Knights, as they look to win their third conference series of the season, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

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