Well, to say the least, it was a busy day for both the UCF Knights (No. 2) and Houston Cougars (No. 3).
In the afternoon, UCF faced Houston, needing to win to avoid elimination. The Knights did just that, capturing a 9-8 win in extra innings.
It was Gephry Pena’s walk-off double in the tenth inning that sealed the deal for the Knights. Pena also had three hits in the game, as well as Tom Josten, who scored three runs. Michael Brooks provided a lot of help, too, recording three RBI’s in only two at bats.
Despite the win, UCF got into a lot of trouble in the ninth inning. Up 8-6, the game seemed over. However, a leadoff single by Houston’s Santiago Garcia got the party started. The next batter, Ryan Hernandez, hit a game-tying two-run home run to force extra innings.
As a result of the win, UCF forced a second game against the same team later that night. The result of this second game would decide the fate of both teams. It was a win-or-go home situation, with the winner moving on to face ECU in the AAC Championship Game on Sunday.
Backed up by many base hits, the Houston Tigers captured the victory over the UCF Knights. Smilarly to the first game, Houston rallied late to tie the game. However, this time Houston took the lead.
Houston started off the game with three runs in the first inning. However, UCF followed Houston’s path because the Knights also put up three runs in the opening inning.
In the first inning, UCF’s Alex Freeland (solo shot to right center) and Ben McCabe (two-run shot to left field) hit dingers.
Freeland and McCabe were not done yet, as they both hit home runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Gephry Pena also got in on the action, as he hit an RBI single to center field in the sixth inning, scoring Andrew Sundean.
Heading into the eighth inning, UCF found themselves up by a score of 6-4. However, RBI’s by Houston’s Garcia and McMillan tied the game at six apiece.
Then, in the ninth inning, the Houston Cougars broke the game open. Anthony Tulimero hit a three-run home run to left field to give the Cougars a 9-6 lead.
UCF couldn’t put any hits or runs together in the bottom of the ninth, ending their season. However, the Knights have to be given a ton of credit for fighting until the very end.
So, it’ll be Houston and ECU in the AAC Championship Game on Sunday.
UCF Head Coach Greg Lovelady on the way his team played:
“I’m proud of our kids. They did such a great job. Competing for 19 innings… obviously it’s been a grind of a week, like it always is. We just ran out of time. It’s just been a crazy year for us and just having to overcome so much.”
Greg Lovelady on the state and future of the UCF program:
“We’ve been moving in the right direction. Obviously, 2020 was frustrating. We were ranked 20th in the country. Last year was a crazy year for us with Covid. We really bounced back and had a second half that was awesome in conference. We made the run to the Championship. On paper, I feel like this was the best team we ever had. Coming into it, it was just tough with the injuries. I think that with the amount of players we have returning, and the younger guys that got a ton of action… we’ll see what happens with the Draft. We really took a step forward in terms of how tough we are.”
Houston Head Coach Todd Whitting on what he said to the team after the win:
“I just told them that I’m proud of them. I’ve been that way all year long. We’ve had some adversity.. we have guys that are out their playing that need surgeries after this season. They are just fighting their way through it. When you get a bunch of kids like that, it can turn into something special. I just told them that I’m proud of them and to go back and get some rest… curfew as soon as you get back to the hotel… get your but to bed. Let’s get ready to play for a championship tomorrow.”
Check out our photos of the game: PHOTOS | Houston @ UCF | AAC College Baseball Tournament | 5/28/22