Sweat's Career-High Eight Strikeouts Lead UCF Past Florida A&M, 16-2

Feb. 23, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - After suffering through a lengthy rain delay before first pitch, the UCF baseball team moved to 2-0 on the season with a 16-2 win over Florida A&M Saturday at Jay Bergman Field. Junior starter Kyle Sweat delivered with a career-high eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work for the victory.

The Knights racked up 15 hits in the win over the Rattlers (0-2), led by senior Dwayne Bailey and sophomore Shane Brown, who each posted three hits. Brown also posted a career-high four RBI, and sophomore Chris Duffy set a personal mark with four runs scored.

UCF climbed on top of FAMU and starter Anthony Espin (0-1) in the second as Duffy reached on an error and senior Ryan Richardson blasted a double high off the center-field fence. Following an intentional walk to Brown, freshman Evan Stobbs was issued a free pass with the bases juiced for the first run. Junior Rob Lara then came through with a two-run single, junior Josh Siebenaler notched a sacrifice fly and Bailey complete the inning's scoring with a double to right, making it 5-0.

The Knights returned the next inning when junior Colin Arnold recorded a sac fly to left to plate Duffy, and a Tyson Auer single scored Siebenaler in the fourth for a 7-0 lead. Later in the inning, Auer touched home on a wild pitch, and with the bases filled with Knights and two down, Brown brought two more home on a double to right.

Now up 10-0, freshman Cody Allen relieved Sweat in the sixth and made a memorable collegiate debut, striking out all three batters he faced looking. When UCF came to the plate in the bottom half, Richardson added an RBI double and Brown scored on a wild pitch for the 12-0 cushion. Brown came back in the seventh with a two-run bases-loaded double, while the Knights also pushed across an unearned run to stretch the lead to 15-0.

FAMU ruined the Knights' shutout bid with a pair of runs in the eighth, but that was all the Rattlers could muster as UCF capped off the day with a Chadd Hartman sacrifice fly in its portion of the inning to complete the 16-2 win.

The three-game series vs. Florida A&M concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. at Jay Bergman Field.

Season tickets as well as single-game tickets to check out UCF baseball this year are currently available by contacting the UCF Ticket Office at 407-823-1000, or by going online at www.ucfathletics.com, the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.

Game Notes
Florida A&M - 0-2 Overall, 0-0 MEAC
UCF - 2-0 Overall, 0-0 C-USA
WP: Kyle Sweat (1-0), 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
LP: Anthony Espin (0-1), 5.0 IP, 8 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
- Josh Siebenaler picked up UCF's first stolen base of the year when he swiped second in the fourth inning. Tyson Auer and Chris Duffy eventually both stole second later in the inning as well.
- UCF posted at least 10 runs in back-to-back games for the first time since March 13 and 16, 2007, when it defeated Army, 12-4, and Rutgers, 10-8.
- The combined 33 runs Feb. 22-23 were the most in consecutive games dating back to April 13 and 15, 2005, where UCF defeated Bethune-Cookman, 18-2, and Belmont, 19-2 (37 runs).
- Meanwhile, UCF had 32 hits Friday-Saturday, the most in a two-game stretch since March 19 and 21, 2006, when the Black and Gold notched 13 hits vs. Siena and 21 against Bethune-Cookman.
- Along with striking out the side in the sixth, Cody Allen opened the seventh with another strikeout to begin his college career with four-straight Ks, and finished with six in 3.0 innings.
- Closer Justin Weiss made his first showing of 2008, pitching a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout.
- Chris Duffy, Ryan Richardson and Rob Lara added two hits apiece for the Knights.
- UCF pitchers finished with 15 strikeouts and walked only two batters.