ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF overcame two deficits and broke a 5-5 tie on a fielder’s choice groundball by leftfielder Dee Brown in the bottom of the 10th inning to hand second-ranked LSU their first loss of the season, 6-5, in front of 1,575 fans at Jay Bergman Field on Sunday afternoon.
The contest marked the first time the Tigers have played in two extra-inning affairs in one series since a three-game contest at Georgia in 2001. Friday, LSU edged the Golden Knights, 4-3, in the series opener.
Designated hitter David Mann drew a leadoff walk off of LSU reliever Jordan Faircloth and stole second base to spark the game-winning inning. Second baseman Kevin Richmond grounded out to Clay Harris, advancing the speedy Mann to third.
Faircloth intentionally walked center fielder Clay Timpner to face right hander Dee Brown and set up a force play. Brown then rolled a groundball to Harris at first who fielded the ball, turned and threw the ball into left field away from the outstretched arms of shortstop Blake Gill to score the winning run and give the Knights a salvage in the series finale.
Sunday’s contest marked the first collegiate start for freshman southpaw Clay Dirks. Dirks, who sat out the 2003 season after undergoing elbow surgery, made a successful debut hurling 5 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits, while adding five strikeouts.
LSU (2-1) jumped out to an early lead for the second-consecutive day. Blake Gill collected his first of three hits when he lined a single into right field, scoring J.C. Holt who reached on a fielding error by second baseman Kevin Richmond.
The Tigers increased the lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning, when Matt Liuzza doubled off of the left field wall, scoring Clay Harris and Ivan Naccarata.
Dirks held the Golden Knights scoreless until the sixth inning. After retiring the first two batters, UCF cut into the Tigers’ lead when Drew Butera laced a two-out double off of the center field batter’s eye. Chandler Rose followed with a double of his own, plating Butera for the Knights’ first run of the game. Leadoff designated hitter David Mann chased Dirks out of the game, drawing a 3-1 walk.
After a superb bullpen session on Saturday, Nate Bumstead relieved Dirks in the sixth to test his strength after suffering an arm injury in a Feb. 3 intrasquad game. Bumstead walked Kevin Richmond to load the bases. The senior right-hander then got into trouble balking in Rose and walking Clay Timpner to load the bases again. UCF tied the game on a wild pitch that scored Mann from third.
LSU rallied to score two in the top half of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead, highlighted by Blake Gill’s RBI triple that scored J.C. Holt. Gill finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run.
Nick Stavinoha closed out LSU’s scoring threat with an RBI single that rolled in between third baseman Drew Butera and shortstop Chandler Rose to score Gill from third.
UCF pitcher Tim Bascom (2-0) silenced the Tigers bats for the final three innings to pick up the win in relief, while LSU sophomore Jordan Faircloth (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run and two walks.
LSU opens up the 2004 home schedule with an in-state tilt versus Louisiana-Monroe Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium.
LSU 100 200 200 0 — 5 8 1
UCF 000 003 200 1 — 6 10 1
E — Harris, C. (1) LOB — LSU 10; UCF 15
2B — Liuzza (1); Richmond (2), Timpner (1), Bono, R. (1), Butera (1), Rose (1). 3B — Gill (1). HR — Wade (1)
HBP — Stavinoha, Harris, C.; Timpner, Bono, R. SH — Mann (1) SB — Mann (1)
W — Bascom (2-0)
L — Faircloth (0-1)
Umpires — Harvey, McComb, Manners
Start — 1:07 p.m. Time — 3:27 p.m. Att. — 1575.