ORLANDO – Gavin Homer (Battle Creek, Mich.) doubled and scored twice, but UCF held off Penn State, 5-3, in non-conference baseball action Saturday night in John Euliano Park.
UCF (10-4) never led by more than two runs but Penn State (8-3) was not able to come closer than one run throughout.
UCF center fielder Ray Alejo went 3-for-4 with a home run, triple and three RBIs, and first baseman Tyler Osik went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run to account for the Knights' scoring.
UCF jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Osik's homer in the first. Penn State halved the lead the very next inning, as catcher Jacob Padilla (Wylie, Texas) extended the frame with a two-out infield hit, and shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) followed with a double that landed just inside third base and rolled deep into foul ground in left field, allowing Padilla to score all the way from first.
UCF restored its two-run lead in the bottom of the second. After a lead-off single, RHP Bailey Dees (2-1) struck out the next two, but shortstop Brandon Hernandez drew a full-count walk, and Alejo doubled to the right gap, driving in a run. Hernandez tried to score too but was thrown out at home with center fielder Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) and first baseman Parker Hendershot (Barton, N.Y.) assisting.
Homer made it a one-run game again in the top of the third inning, 3-2, leading-off the frame with a double, advancing to third on a ground out, and scoring on a passed ball.
UCF added another run in the bottom of the fourth with more two-out hitting. Hernandez singled to left and Alejo followed with a deep fly to right-center that went in-and-out of Bowersox's glove as he was on the run, and it was scored an RBI-triple.
Penn State inched within a run again in the fifth as Homer hit a one-out double and advanced to third then home on singles by Bowersox and Hendershot, respectively. A walk then loaded the bases, but UCF got out of the jam with a double play.
The Knights bullpen took command in the final four innings. RHP Kyle Kemp struck out five of the eight batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings, walking one and plunking one, and RHP Garrett Westberg (1) earned the save with two perfect innings, striking out three.
Alejo homered on the first pitch of the seventh inning for the final margin. It was the lone run allowed by Penn State RHP Kyle Virbitsky, who pitched the final three innings and struck out three.
LHP Grant Schuermann (1-2) worked five innings for UCF, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts to earn the win.
For Penn State, Dees struck out seven in five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk.
Penn State and UCF conclude the series Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
Penn State opens its home slate Mar. 15 and tickets are on sale online by clicking here or by calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711.
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