• Final stats

ORLANDO, Fla. – UCF Knights head coach Greg Lovelady left John Euliano Park, perhaps, feeling a little more thrilled than he expected.

His Knights and the FAU Owls battled through a 10-inning pitching duel, as UCF (30-15, 9-9 in American Athletic Conference) won 2-1 on May 1 in front of 893 fans.

“I don’t like those kind of games. My heart can’t handle it,” Lovelady said jokingly after the win. “But it was good. I mean, those are the type of games you gotta try to figure out a way to win, and we haven’t been able to do that… So, again, just another growing experience…”

Each starter pitched the most for their respective teams. UCF lefty Luis Ferrer went a season-high 4.0 innings with four strikeouts, allowing one earned run on one hit and no walks.

For FAU (30-13-1), righty Mike Ruff pitched 5.0 innings, also allowing only one run on one hit but with three balls. Ruff also recorded four strikeouts.

Both pitchers allowed their lone runs early in the game, as both staffs were virtually untouchable in the wind. UCF scored in the first inning behind the first of two RBIs by left fielder Tyler Osik, and FAU lead-off hitter Tyler Frank notched the Owls’ only RBI in the third.

The deciding moment began to build in the ninth inning when Knights right fielder Max Wood doubled down the right-field line for the first non-Osik hit for UCF. Third baseman Jackson Webb ultimately flew out to center field, though, to end the ninth.

Then, catcher Dallas Beaver recorded his first hit of the game to lead off the 10th, as the Knights eventually loaded the bases with no outs. That’s when Osik stepped to the plate and slapped a base hit to right field to drive in pinch runner Brandon Hernandez for the game-winning, walk-off run.

Osik had an opportunity to help UCF take the lead in the eighth inning, but, with two outs and two runners on, he fouled out to first.

“I left a runner on, like, with a chance to win the game two innings prior, so I just wanted to make up for it and help the team win,” Osik said after the game. “It feels good. I was just trying to help the team win. Like, we really needed this win. We need to keep rolling; we need to stay winning games as the year finishes up, so it felt good.”

FAU presented a couple scoring opportunities in the sixth and seventh innings, but two inning-ending efforts by first baseman Rylan Thomas kept the Owls at bay.

In the sixth, senior Eric Hepple had just entered the game and allowed runners on the corners in his first three at-bats. Then, FAU right fielder David Miranda lined out to Thomas for an unassisted double play. FAU freshman Jared DeSantolo also did the same with two outs in the seventh.

Who’s Next?

The Knights will travel to Houston, Texas, for their final road series of the season, starting with a game against the Houston Cougars on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

For more on the Knights, as they look to rise above .500 in conference play, again, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

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