Box Score (PDF)

ORLANDO, Fla. — The baseball team got off to a quick start against one of the hottest starting pitchers in the nation, but Central Florida scored eight unanswered runs to win the second game of a weekend series, 8-3, at Jay Bergman Field on Saturday.
 
UCF (14-11) starter Robby Howell had surrendered just three earned runs more than 34 innings of work entering the day, but the Big Red pushed three runs across in just the first inning Saturday. Junior Tommy Wagner hit a double down the line in left to score junior Frankie Padulo, then sophomore Dale Wickham followed with an RBI groundout to score senior Jordan Winawer. Wagner moved up to third on the play, then scored a squeeze play with sophomore Ellis Bitar laying down the RBI bunt.
 
But that's all the offense Cornell (6-6) could muster on Howell, who settled down to work 7 2/3 innings and induce three double plays to work out of any trouble the Big Red generated.
 
In the meantime, UCF began to chip away with single runs in the third and fourth innings against Cornell junior starter Tim Willittes. The home side then stormed ahead for good on a fifth-inning grand slam from Austin Griffin.
 
Bitar was the Big Red's leading offensive player, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI. The series finale has been bumped up to 11 a.m. Sunday in the hopes of averting potential inclement weather. Cornell is scheduled to start junior RHP Peter Lannoo (1-0, 3.38), while UCF's starter is not yet been announced.