Despite loss to Longhorns, UCF earns spot in upcoming Big 12 Conference Tournament.
Rich Wallace wondered how his UCF baseball team would struggle to bounce back following an emotional 5-4 win over No. 18 Texas Saturday night.
UCF jumped to a 4-0 lead before hanging on for the win. In the top of the 9th inning, the Knights needed a pair of strikeouts to secure the victory.
On Sunday, the Knights were listless for the first four innings, failing to register a hit as the Longhorns jumped out to what seemed an insurmountable 5-run edge.
But Wallace’s well-timed ejection — his first of the season — fired up his team and the fans as UCF rallied to tie the game at 5 before eventually falling 10-7.
“I don’t know how much I had to do with it,” Wallace said after the game. “They [his players] were tired of how the game was going.”
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Wallace’s ejection came in the top of the fifth inning when he was on the mound meeting with his infielders during a pitching change when home plate umpire Shawn Arthur came out and tossed him from the game. It was the first time he had been ejected this season, and it drew a standing ovation from the home fans.
“It was just a disagreement on balls and strikes and fair and foul,” Wallace said of the reason for his early exit. “Somebody’s got to stand up for the guys at some point.”
Wallace’s ejection fired up his team as UCF (31-17, 12-14 Big 12) scored 5 runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a 2-RBI single by Matt Prevesk.
“It definitely fired us up,” said designated hitter Matt Cedarburg, who finished 2 of 3 with 2 RBIs. “We shouldn’t have to get going after a coach gets thrown out of a game, but it was good that we did. We scored some runs, got some hits and got that started.”
Texas (32-20, 17-10 Big 12) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to an RBI single by right fielder Max Belyeu. The Longhorns followed that up by scoring three runs in the top of the second, chasing starter Wiley Hartley from the game and setting the stage for a challenging day for the Knights’ bullpen.
First baseman Jared Thomas had an RBI single in the fourth to stretch the lead to 5-0 before UCF rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth. But Texas tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth and two in the top of the eighth inning to secure the victory.
UCF entered Sunday’s game in ninth place in the Big 12 standings. Saturday’s victory and a pair of losses by Baylor helped secure a spot for the Knights in their first conference tournament, which will be held May 21-25 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Wallace’s team remains two games ahead of Texas Tech for the 10th spot and 3.5 games ahead of Baylor at No. 11. UCF hosts Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday in the home finale before traveling to Waco for a three-game series with Baylor starting on Thursday.
“We’re obviously worried about Bethune and then going on the road and taking the operation to Waco, but we’re getting there, playing UCF baseball, and taking it one game at a time,” said Wallace.
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
