ORLANDO, Fla. – The Presbyterian College baseball team dropped the rubber match of its weekend series at No. 26 UCF on Friday, falling 11-2 in the series finale.
PC moves to 17-33-1 on the year while UCF improves to 32-20. The Blue Hose return home to host Gardner-Webb in the final series of the regular season in a Thursday-Friday-Saturday set that begins on May 15 at 3 p.m.
PC led in the top of the fourth before UCF scored three runs in the fourth inning and seven runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) led PC with three hits on the day and Nate Chong (Duluth, Ga.) added a pair of hits. Starter Trey Hayes (Belton, S.C.) threw five innings of four-run ball to take the loss and move to 0-4 on the year.
UCF took a quick lead with a run in the first on a James Vasquez RBI single but the Blue Hose responded with two in the fourth. Paul ripped a leadoff single through the left side and stole second. A Weston Jackson (Greer, S.C.) single and Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Cam McRae (Darlington, S.C.) who drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game, 1-1.
Chong then singled after a pitching change to score Jackson and give the visitors a 2-1 edge.
UCF evened the game in the bottom of the frame on a Vasquez leadoff home run. The solo shot kickstarted an inning for the Knights that saw the team score again on an RBI fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 advantage.
Seven runs for the Knights in the seventh put the game out of reach for the Blue Hose. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch gave Vasquez another RBI and a three-run Tommy Wililams tripled helped add to UCF's lead en route to the 11-2 victory.
Paul Sanders (St. Simons Island, Ga.) pitched a shutout inning in the eight, striking out a batter in relief.
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Presbyterian College 000 200 000 - 2 9 2 (17-33-1)
UCF................. 100 300 70X - 11 12 0 (32-20)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - HAYES, Trey; KEHNER, Brian(6); NALLEY, Bennett(7);
DEAL, Hayden(7); SANDERS, Paul(8) and . UCF - DAVIS, S.; PETREE, J.(4); HOWELL, R.(8);
ROSACE, V.(9) and .
Win-PETREE, J.(4-0) Loss-HAYES, Trey(0-4) T-2:44 A-1239
HR UCF - VASQUEZ, J. (6).
Weather: 87, Mostly Cloudy, E 8 mph
