UCF rallies late to edge Bethune-Cookman 5-4, snaps two-game skid
It didn’t matter how they did it, UCF Baseball just needed a win on Tuesday night.
Coming off another frustrating weekend series loss, the Knights found one at Bethune-Cookman, grinding out a 5-4 victory behind a big night from Andrew Williamson, a go-ahead two-run single from Zak Skinner in the eighth, and enough bullpen stability to finally close the door.
The Wildcats, fielding one of their best teams in years, entered the night 29-11 overall, tied for first place in the SWAC and riding a six-game winning streak, with non-conference wins over both Florida and LSU on their resume.
Early hole, steady response
The night did not start especially well for UCF.
Bethune-Cookman jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an Andrey Martinez solo homer and a Maikol Lucena RBI double off Roman Kimball. But after that shaky opening inning, Kimball settled in and gave the Knights exactly what they needed from a midweek starter, working 5.0 innings while allowing just two runs on five hits and striking out four.
UCF chipped away in the second. Javier Crespo singled to start the inning, Landon Moran and James Hankerson Jr. each drew walks, and Andrew Williamson brought home the Knights’ first run with a two-out RBI single. It was an early sign of the kind of night Williamson was about to put together.
Williamson and Smith set the tone
The Knights grabbed their first lead in the fourth.
Jordan Lodise opened the rally with a double, Austin Jacobs followed with an RBI single, and after Williamson reached and moved into scoring position on a throwing error, John Smith III added another RBI single to make it 3-2. UCF finished with 12 hits on the night, with Williamson and Smith leading the way with three apiece while Crespo added two more.
Williamson continues to be one of the most reliable bats in the lineup. He entered the night leading UCF in home runs, runs scored, extra-base hits, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, and Tuesday he again looked like the tone-setter offensively. Smith has been just as steady, entering the game tied with Zak Skinner for the team lead in batting average and leading the club in RBIs.
Skinner comes through in the biggest spot
Bethune-Cookman tied the game in the sixth after a brief wobble from the UCF bullpen. Max Murray allowed three straight hitters to reach to start the inning, and the Wildcats cashed in with an RBI single from Jorge Rodriguez and a sacrifice fly from Jose Fernandez to even the score at 4-4.
That set up the decisive eighth.
James Hankerson Jr. started the inning with a single, Cayden Gaskin came on to run and moved up on a groundout, and after Bethune-Cookman intentionally walked Williamson and Smith singled, Skinner delivered the biggest swing of the night with a two-out, two-run single up the middle. Both Gaskin and Williamson scored, turning a 4-4 game into a 5-4 UCF lead. Skinner finished just 1-for-4, but it was the hit that decided the game.
That late hit mattered even more considering the chances UCF left on the table. The Knights stranded 13 runners and went 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position, so Skinner’s eighth-inning knock was the kind of situational hit they had to have.
Bullpen finishes it off
After Bethune-Cookman’s sixth-inning push, UCF’s bullpen locked things down.
Kevin Schoneboom was outstanding in relief, covering the final two outs of the sixth and then handling the seventh and eighth without allowing a hit. He earned the win to move to 2-1 on the season. Kris Sosnowski then worked the ninth for his third save, and after allowing a leadoff single, got a big assist from Skinner, who picked off pinch runner Caleb Scott before the Wildcats could build any real pressure. Bethune-Cookman did not score after the sixth.
Looking ahead
UCF heads back to Orlando briefly before departing for Salt Lake City, where the Knights open a three-game Big 12 series at Utah this Friday. The Utes entered the week at 20-15 overall and 9-9 in conference play, tied for fifth in the league standings.
The Knights, now 22-15 overall and 11-7 in Big 12 play, are currently tied for third in the conference standings.
