Tulane drops doubleheader Friday at UCF

ORLANDO, Fla. – Tulane baseball dropped its doubleheader at UCF on Friday, 7-6 (12 inn.) and 3-2, as the Knights scored runs in the bottom of the 12th and the bottom of the ninth innings, at John Euliano Park.

Sophomore designated hitter Grant Mathews went 5-for-10 and scored three runs in the two games, extending his streak to seven consecutive games with multiple hits. Sophomore left fielder Luke Glancy tallied three hits and drove in three runs and sophomore third baseman Kody Hoese had three hits and an RBI in the first game. Junior first baseman Trevor Jensen drove in both runs in the second game and scored three runs in the doubleheader.

The Green Wave (24-31, 9-14 American Athletic Conference) scored three runs in the eighth inning of the opener, but the Knights (35-19, 13-10 American) answered with three runs in the bottom half to tie the game, 6-6, before winning in the 12th inning. The Wave led 2-1 in the second contest until UCF tied it in the eighth inning, before winning in the bottom of the ninth.

“It’s the difference of two games,” Tulane head coach Travis Jewett said. “Offensively we were pretty good in the first game against a good pitcher and took a multiple-run lead in the eighth inning. We thought we would slam that down, but it didn’t happen. Offensively in the second game, we were just a different team. You have to give credit to their pitcher, who did a good job. When you get stalemated like that offensively, you need to have a good outing on the mound and we got that from Trent. Bless his heart, he was running out of gas there, but I thought he pitched pretty well the entire day. Our backs are against the wall, and we have to find some kind of pride for tomorrow.”

The series finale is at noon CT Saturday. The game can be heard on 88.3 FM WRBH in New Orleans or via TuneIn Radio.

Game 1: UCF 7, Tulane 6 (12 inn.)

Tulane and UCF both scored three runs in the eighth inning, and the score remained tied, 6-6, until the Knights hit an RBI double in the bottom of the 12th to win the opener, 7-6.

Tulane scored in the second inning on what appeared to be an RBI double by junior right fielder Ty Johnson that scored Mathews from second. On appeal, however, it was ruled Johnson missed first base, and he was credited with an RBI groundout. The Green Wave extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Hoese and an RBI single to right field by Glancy.

The Knights tied the game with three runs in the sixth on a home run by center fielder Ray Alejo, a sacrifice fly by right fielder Max Wood and an RBI single by designated hitter Dalton Wingo.

The Wave took the lead again with three runs in the top of the eighth. Mathews tagged his first career triple to center field to scored Jensen, and Glancy hit a two-run home run. It was Glancy’s second homer of the season, and it left the park just over the fence out of reach of the right fielder’s glove, making the score 6-3.

UCF once again tied the game, 6-6, with three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run by Wingo and a two-run homer by shortstop Brandon Hernandez.

The score held for the next three frames. Tulane allowed just a single in the ninth inning and tallied three hits in that span. In the 12th, Wood singled and scored the winning run on a double by catcher Logan Heiser.

Junior Kaleb Roper struck out two batters and allowed just a hit in 4.0 innings in his start. Graduate senior Ben White (2-4) took the loss and Bryce Tucker (2-2) earned the win for the Knights.

Game 2: UCF 3, Tulane 2

Trevor Jensen hit a home run in the first inning, then drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the third, but UCF scored in the second, then scored one run in each of the eighth and ninth innings to win the second game, 3-2.

Sophomore Trent Johnson struck out seven batters over a career-long 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with five walks. Senior Sam Bjorngjeld (1-3) took the loss in relief while UCF reliever Jordan Spicer (4-1) claimed the win.

Jensen scorched his eighth home run of the season over the left field wall to put the Wave ahead, 1-0. After UCF tied it in the second on a sacrifice fly by Dalton Wingo, Jensen gave Tulane the lead again in the third inning with a sacrifice fly to center field. Sophomore shortstop Sal Gozzo, who reached on an error, scored on the fly.

The Green Wave held the 2-1 lead as Johnson tossed five consecutive shutout innings, retiring 15 of 17 batters and allowing just two hits in that span.

UCF drew two one-out walks in the eighth inning, then tied the game on a base hit by third baseman Dallas Beaver. Matthew Mika singled to start the ninth after receiving extra life with a dropped foul ball, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Max Wood to end the game.

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Game 1: UCF 7, Tulane 6 (May 18, 2018 at Orlando, Fla.)
———————————————————————-
Tulane………….. 010 200 030 000 – 6 12 1 (24-30, 9-13)
UCF…………….. 000 003 030 001 – 7 11 0 (34-19, 12-10)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Tulane – ROPER, Kaleb; PELLERIN, Connor(5); MASSEY, Ross(6); WHITE, Ben(7) and
OWEN, Acy. UCF – Finfrock, Cre; Ward, Thad(5); Hepple, Eric(8); Montgomery, JJ(9);
Tucker, Bryce(11) and Heiser, Logan.
Win-Tucker, Bryce(2-2) Loss-WHITE, Ben(2-4) T-4:21 A-0
HR TLN – GLANCY, Luke.
HR UCF – Alejo, Ray; Wingo, Dalton; Hernandez, Brandon.

Game 2: UCF 3, Tulane 2 (May 18, 2018 at Orlando, Fla.)
———————————————————————-
Tulane………….. 101 000 000 – 2 4 1 (24-31, 9-14)
UCF…………….. 010 000 011 – 3 5 2 (35-19, 13-10)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Tulane – JOHNSON, Trent; BJORNGJELD, Sam(8) and NIEMANN, Frankie. UCF –
Williams, Chris; Spicer, Jordan(9) and Heiser, Logan.
Win-Spicer, Jordan(4-1) Loss-BJORNGJELD, Sam(1-3) T-2:33 A-817
HR TLN – JENSEN, Trevor.