Written by: Brian Pohl
ORLANDO, Fla.- The reigning American Athletic Conference champion and 22nd ranked UCF Knights opened the 2018 season with a 6-3 upset victory over the 15th ranked UVA Cavaliers.
In the second year under UCF head coach Greg Lovelady, the Knights look to repeat the successes they had in 2017, where they won their first AAC championship since joining in 2014. They started their 2018 season off with a bang as they outplayed perennial powerhouse UVA in their season opener. Thanks to clutch hitting and a shutdown bullpen performance, the UCF Knights move to 1-0 on the season and will look to keep momentum as they continue play in the opening weekend tournament.
Lovelady on the victory, “That’s a big win, but like I told [the team] you don’t get rings and win championships on opening day so we need to come out tomorrow and play with that same opening day mentality against a really really good team.”
The three and four hitters of the UCF lineup were the stars of the show, producing five of the six runs for the Knights in the opener. First baseman Rylan Thomas produced the first run of the game with a rbi single in the first inning, but his highlight came in the bottom of the third, where he connected for a two-run home run in the bottom of the third, giving the Knights a 3-1 advantage. The Cavs would even the game up at three, but it would be Dallas Beaver’s time to shine in the bottom of the fifth inning. The lefty would deliver an opposite-field home run, giving the Knights a 5-3 lead heading into the second half of the game. The pair of sophomores will be a big piece for this UCF squad and will be called upon often, hitting out of the three and four spots in the lineup. The Knights would extend their lead to 6-3 in the 8th with a rbi double by Brandon Hernandez, giving us our final score.
Lovelady joked when asked about picking sophomore Dallas Beaver to breakout this season and his performance saying, “It makes me look like a genius right?”
The starting pitcher for UCF was Junior Chris Williams, who gave the Knights five solid innings in the first game of the season. Limiting the Cavaliers to three runs in his five innings of work, Williams did enough to get the job done and handed the ball off to his bullpen for the final innings. In relief of Williams was JJ Montgomery, who would shut UVA down for four shutdown innings of work, including a rare four-inning save. Recording six strikeouts, Montgomery made quick work of the Cavs, only allowing just two base runners in his outing.
Lovelady on Montgomery, “ JJ was phenomenal, he scared me a little those first couple hitters going 3-0 but I told him this was strategically part of the plan was to use those two guys[Williams and Montgomery] the whole game and it worked to perfection which rarely ever happens.” Consistent work out of the bullpen will be a key to success for the Knights, and if the opening game is any indication, then UCF is in great shape to contend to repeat as AAC champions in 2018.
UCF takes on another tough challenge in Rice Saturday, where a victory would send a message across college baseball that the 2018 Knights are for real.
First pitch of UCF vs Rice is at 5:00 p.m. from John Euliano Park in Orlando, Florida.
In the second year under UCF head coach Greg Lovelady, the Knights look to repeat the successes they had in 2017, where they won their first AAC championship since joining in 2014. They started their 2018 season off with a bang as they outplayed perennial powerhouse UVA in their season opener. Thanks to clutch hitting and a shutdown bullpen performance, the UCF Knights move to 1-0 on the season and will look to keep momentum as they continue play in the opening weekend tournament.
Lovelady on the victory, “That’s a big win, but like I told [the team] you don’t get rings and win championships on opening day so we need to come out tomorrow and play with that same opening day mentality against a really really good team.”
The three and four hitters of the UCF lineup were the stars of the show, producing five of the six runs for the Knights in the opener. First baseman Rylan Thomas produced the first run of the game with a rbi single in the first inning, but his highlight came in the bottom of the third, where he connected for a two-run home run in the bottom of the third, giving the Knights a 3-1 advantage. The Cavs would even the game up at three, but it would be Dallas Beaver’s time to shine in the bottom of the fifth inning. The lefty would deliver an opposite-field home run, giving the Knights a 5-3 lead heading into the second half of the game. The pair of sophomores will be a big piece for this UCF squad and will be called upon often, hitting out of the three and four spots in the lineup. The Knights would extend their lead to 6-3 in the 8th with a rbi double by Brandon Hernandez, giving us our final score.
Lovelady joked when asked about picking sophomore Dallas Beaver to breakout this season and his performance saying, “It makes me look like a genius right?”
The starting pitcher for UCF was Junior Chris Williams, who gave the Knights five solid innings in the first game of the season. Limiting the Cavaliers to three runs in his five innings of work, Williams did enough to get the job done and handed the ball off to his bullpen for the final innings. In relief of Williams was JJ Montgomery, who would shut UVA down for four shutdown innings of work, including a rare four-inning save. Recording six strikeouts, Montgomery made quick work of the Cavs, only allowing just two base runners in his outing.
Lovelady on Montgomery, “ JJ was phenomenal, he scared me a little those first couple hitters going 3-0 but I told him this was strategically part of the plan was to use those two guys[Williams and Montgomery] the whole game and it worked to perfection which rarely ever happens.” Consistent work out of the bullpen will be a key to success for the Knights, and if the opening game is any indication, then UCF is in great shape to contend to repeat as AAC champions in 2018.
UCF takes on another tough challenge in Rice Saturday, where a victory would send a message across college baseball that the 2018 Knights are for real.
First pitch of UCF vs Rice is at 5:00 p.m. from John Euliano Park in Orlando, Florida.