UCF Downs Owls 8-2 After Bats Catch Fire

ORLANDO, Fl.—After a 6-4 win in their opener against the Owls, the Knights kept their foot on the throttle en route to a 8-2 beat-down Saturday.

The Cherry and White came out of the gate strong as 3B Derek Peterson doubled with two outs, but 1B Robert Amaro couldn’t drive him home striking out. Temple starter Preston Hill has had a disappointing senior season and UCF took advantage of his struggles early.

UCF 2B Daniel Moore, coming off a 4-4 performance at the plate Friday, led off the first with a single. CF Derrick Salberg followed Moore by taking Hill deep with a two run shot as the Knights once again took the early advantage. Hill would walk the next batter but the onslaught was just getting started. 1B James Vasquez doubled to drive home another run and DH Sam Tolleson drove him in with a RBI single. Hill would let seven UCF hitters to reach base in the inning but got the final hitter to line out in an inning ending double play.

Righty Tanner Olson was dominant all game. With a four run lead to work with, he allowed no extra base hits after the Peterson double in the first. UCF tacked on runs in the third and fourth with RBI doubles from Salberg and 3B Kam Gellinger.

RP Patrick Vanderslice can in to pitch in the fifth and provided the Owls with three innings of shutout ball. Moore and Salberg, however, ruined Vanderslice’s dominant outing with a pair of RBI singles in the eighth putting the Knights up eight. Temple would enter the run column in the ninth on a Robert Amaro two run blast but the deficit was too much to overcome as the Owls fell 8-2.

Moore and Salberg went a combined 7-9 to lead UCF as the top two hitters in the lineup. Against the Owls, Moore is hitting a robust .777. Amaro and Peterson led the Owls with two hits a piece in the game. Olson (3-1) limited the Owls to just three extra base hits and went 8.1 innings of shutout ball. Hill (0-4) falters once again on the season pitching only 4.0 innings letting up six runs.

Temple (7-12, 2-3) concludes their series with UCF (16-12, 5-0) Sunday.