• Final stats

ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF Knights paid a heavy pitching price in Game 1 of their three-game series with the Tulane Green Wave but came out with the victory in extra innings.

UCF (34-19, 12-10 in American Athletic Conference) defeated Tulane (24-29, 9-13 in AAC) 7-6 in 12 innings at John Euliano Park early Friday afternoon.

UCF eventually ended its extra-innings bout, courtesy of an unlikely bat. With one out and right fielder Max Wood on second, catcher Logan Heiser doubled to right-center field for his first hit of the game, driving in Wood for the seventh and winning run. In total, Heiser finished the game 1-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run and a walk.

Tulane broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the eighth with a three-run outing, but the Knights quickly retaliated with three runs of their own.

Trailing 6-3, UCF used two-out home runs from pinch hitter Dalton Wingo and shortstop Brandon Hernandez to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. After second baseman Matthew Mika and Wood flew out and struck out, respectively, Wingo homered to left-center field.

Heiser, then, reached first on a wild pitch after striking out swinging. Hernandez promptly hit a 2-1 pitch over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season and to tie the game at 6-6.

The Knights had an opportunity to avoid extra innings in the eighth, as they loaded the bases after Hernandez’s homer. Third baseman Dallas Beaver doubled, center fielder Ray Alejo walked, and first baseman Rylan Thomas was intentionally walked, but left fielder Tyler Osik ultimately flew out to right field to end the effort.

UCF found itself in a similar position earlier in the game. The Knights trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the sixth and tied the game behind efforts by Alejo, Wood and Wingo.

Alejo, first, led off with a full-count home run before Wood’s sacrifice fly to center field allowed Osik to score from third. Wingo, who was in his first at-bat of the game, completed the tying effort with a single up the middle on an 0-1 count to drive in Mika to tie the game at 3-3.

The Knights’ win came at a high cost. Twelve innings of work forced UCF to use five different pitchers, as starter Cre Finfrock went just 4.0 innings with two strikeouts, allowing three earned runs on five hits. Reliever Thad Ward also allowed three runs in his 3.1 innings of work.

Relievers JJ Montgomery and Bryce Tucker were stalwart in the final four innings. Montgomery, first, threw 2.0 scoreless innings with three hits, a walk and one strikeout. Tucker ended the game with four strikeouts.

Who’s Next?

UCF and Tulane play each other in Game 2 45 minutes after the end of Game 1 at John Euliano Park.

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

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