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CLEMSON, S.C. – UCF scored five unearned runs with two outs in the seventh inning to break a 6-6 tie and defeat Clemson 13-6 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Knights, who swept the series 3-0, improved to 6-1, while the Tigers dropped to 4-3.
Tom Josten’s two-out solo homer in the top of the first inning scored the game’s first run, then the Knights added two more runs in the frame. In the bottom of the first inning, four straight singles to start the frame put the Tigers on the scoreboard. Later in the inning after Caden Grice scored on a passed ball, Will Taylor ripped a two-out double to score two runs, giving Clemson a 4-3 lead.
Josten gave the lead to UCF in the third inning with a two-run homer, his second long ball of the game. The Tigers tied the score 5-5 in the fourth inning on Riley Bertram’s fielder’s choice, then Drew Faurot’s two-out, run-scoring double in the fifth inning gave UCF a 6-5 lead. Cooper Ingle lined an opposite-field solo homer, his second of the year, in the sixth inning to tie the score 6-6.
In the seventh inning, the Knights loaded the bases with no outs. After two Ty Olenchuk strikeouts, an error on Corey Robinson’s bunt allowed two runs to score, then they added a run on a wild pitch and two runs on Andrew Brait’s two-run single. Ben McCabe and Faurot crushed solo homers in the eighth inning.
Ben Vespi (1-0) earned the win, while Nick Vieira pitched the final 2.1 innings to record his first save of the year. B.J. Bailey (1-1) suffered the loss.
The Tigers travel to Greenville, S.C. to take on USC Upstate at Fluor Field on Tuesday at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
Photos By Peter McLean
