Eli Putnam stood at the plate in the bottom of the sixth facing an 0-2 count.
In his previous at-bat, Putnam hit a go-ahead RBI single giving UCF a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
The next inning, he put the game out of reach.
Putnam launched a two-run home run to left field, giving the Knights a 7-2 lead they would hold onto, as UCF completed a season-opening series sweep of Siena Sunday at Jay Bergman Field.
His blast finished a flurry of runs for the UCF offense.
“The offense was already going at that point. We just kind of kept it going,” said Putnam, who went 3 for 4 with three RBIs. “You just kind of feed off of it from past innings. You just try to keep them all rolling. Just put great at-bats together.”
UCF (3-0) had to come from behind for the first time.
Siena took an early 2-0 lead against UCF starting pitcher Jason Bahr.
Bahr, making his first career start, lasted four innings allowing two runs and striking out five batters.
Siena (0-3) starting pitcher Chris Amorosi kept hitters off balance the first four innings.
So UCF coach Greg Lovelady decided to shake things up.
“Thought we came out a little gun shy,” Lovelady said. “. . . But in the middle innings, [we] came along and put some more pressure on them and we were able to score some runs.”
Small ball was the pressure Lovelady alluded to.
UCF had five stolen bases, advanced once on a wild pitch and had two sacrifice flies, chipping away at the deficit.
“Not every game is going to go our way right off the bat,” Putnam said. “Starting behind and showing what we’re made of … we definitely needed that.”
The bullpen seized control from the fifth inning on.
Freshman reliever Joseph Sheridan pitched two scoreless innings to pick up his first career win. The Oviedo native induced two inning-ending double plays and scattered two hits while striking out one.
Jordan Scheftz, Thomas, Drew Faintich and Thaddeus Ward combined to pitch the last three innings.
UCF hosts North Florida 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Greg Lovelady era is off to a good start, but Lovelady is not satisfied.
He wants more.
“It’s good, but at the end of the day I wanna to win the last three,” Lovelady said. “Not the first three. This a great starting point for us. But the guys know we gotta continually get better. If this is the starting point, I’m excited about that.”
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins, guard B.J. Taylor and center Tacko Fall preview the Knights’ matchup with Tulsa Tuesday.
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins, guard B.J. Taylor and center Tacko Fall preview the Knights’ matchup with Tulsa Tuesday.
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins, guard B.J. Taylor and center Tacko Fall preview the Knights’ matchup with Tulsa Tuesday.
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins, guard B.J. Taylor and center Tacko Fall preview the Knights’ matchup with Tulsa Tuesday.
UCF’s 2017 football schedule was released by the American Athletic Conference Thursday morning.
UCF’s 2017 football schedule was released by the American Athletic Conference Thursday morning.
UCF head coach Scott Frost talks about how they’ve learned to save scholarship spots after National Signing Day to attract more and better recruits.
UCF head coach Scott Frost talks about how they’ve learned to save scholarship spots after National Signing Day to attract more and better recruits.
For the second straight season under UCF coach Scott Frost, the Knights finished with a top-three signing class in the American Athletic Conference.
For the second straight season under UCF coach Scott Frost, the Knights finished with a top-three signing class in the American Athletic Conference.
FSU came out on top while UCF turned in a solid effort. Florida rallied and USF made a huge comback from the bottom of the ladder.
FSU came out on top while UCF turned in a solid effort. Florida rallied and USF made a huge comback from the bottom of the ladder.
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