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UCF Knights Baseball picked up a resume win on Wednesday night as the offense erupted for 9 unanswered runs between innings 5-7 to break a 1-1 tie and then held off a 9th inning Miami rally to beat the Hurricanes 10-5 to improve to 12-5 on the season in front 3,347 fans, which is the largest crowd of the season, and the largest Miami-UCF crowd ever in Orlando, despite a 1 hour and 50 minute weather delay.
UCF scored 7 of their 10 runs with two outs.
Let’s go Around The Bases for thoughts on game:
1st: Lex Boedicker may be the answer at 1st Base
Pulled out the Pitching Wedge! ⛳️ @LBoedicker chips one to left to add to the lead!
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 17, 2022
B6 | 5, 1#ChargeOn⚔️ pic.twitter.com/A6b4N1rfS3
With the Knights losing Nick Romano for season to injury last week, one big question is who can step in for his production.
The answer was perhaps shown on Wednesday night in Boedicker, who started at 1st base, going 2 for 3 with 3 runs scored and driving in 2 runs in the bottom of 6th to extend the Knights’ lead to 5-1.
Boedicker played solid defense at 1st, and has great potential, which was on display on Wednesday night.
2nd: Tom Josten ts the key to the Knights’ Offense
The Knights hope Wednesday night is the start of big run for Josten, who has been off to slow start, hitting just .186 going into Wednesday’s game against Miami. Josten went 2 for 4 with a 3-run homer in the bottom of 7th that broke the game open.
The RBI
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 17, 2022
Watch out people @tomjosten is crushing baseballs!
E7 | 10, 1#ChargeOn⚔️ pic.twitter.com/mNew2iqg3U
With Romano out, the Knights’ offense will need this kind of production from Josten.
3rd: The bottom of the order produced
Brooks with a bomb tonight! Amazing energy from our fans that kept the night going strong #ChargeOn⚔️ @hannahrrusso pic.twitter.com/mMCB7WFHo9
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 17, 2022
The 7-9 combo of Pablo Ruiz, Lex Boedicker, and Michael Brooks combined for 3 hits, 4 runs batted in, and 5 runs scored in the game.
Brooks crushed a 2-run Homer in bottom of 6th to extend the Knights lead to 7-1.
To the ! #NCAABaseball x @UCF_Baseball pic.twitter.com/ao9SVW8Nua
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) March 17, 2022
How hard did Brooks hit that?
Brooks absolutely smoked this baseball !
— UCF Baseball Analytics (@KnightsBSBData) March 17, 2022
Came in at 92 and left at 106. #ChargeOn⚔️ https://t.co/eH1M7T4sNI pic.twitter.com/sWIiZe9jyH
It was Brooks’ 2nd homer of the season. The Knights need Brooks’ power potential that we saw Wednesday night for them to be a balanced offense.
Home: Kyle Kramer has been fantastic out of the Bullpen
Outside of one outing against Ole Miss, the transfer from Rollins, has been fantastic out of bullpen this season.
Kramer pitched 2 scoreless innings, just giving up 1 hit while striking in out 2.
For the season, Kramer has a 1.80 ERA in 7 appearances, striking out 14 in 10 innings pitched, with teams only hitting .167 against him. He could prove to big weapon out of bullpen as season develops.
On Deck: UCF hosts UNC Greensboro out of the SoCon this weekend starting Friday at 6pm.