March 17, 2008
Box Score
Orlando, FL - Mitch Houck and Austin Hudson combined to throw a no-hitter as No. 16 UCF won their ninth-straight game 6-0 over Wagner at Jay Bergman Field. The Golden Knights are now 17-1 while the Seahawks fall to 4-4.
Houck (2-0) struck out a career-high 13 over 7.0 innings while yielding four walks and hit one batter. Hudson closed out the game with five strikeouts over the final 2.0 innings.
Despite the loss, the Seahawk relief duo of freshmen Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) and Ian Karlsson (Brooklyn, NY / Xaverian) combined to limit the potent UCF offense, which was averaging 9.8 runs per game, to just one earned run over 5.0 innings. Rice extended his scoreless streak to start the year to 10.1 innings after striking out two while yielding just one unearned run on three hits in 3.0 innings of work. Karlsson surrendered one run over the final 2.0 innings.
UCF scored one run in the first inning on a Shane Brown sacrifice fly to take the early 1-0 lead.
The Golden Knights added another run in the top of the second on a pair of hits. The damage could have been worse had it not been for an impressive double play by freshman Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown). Lucas snared a hard-hit grounder, stepped on third before firing a bullet to first, getting the speedy Dwayne Bailey by a step.
UCF added two runs in the third, one in the fourth and two in the sixth to provide the game's final 6-0 margin.
Wagner would mount its first threat in the top of the sixth as junior Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) and senior Dan Morvay (Jackson, NJ / Jackson Memorial) each walked to lead off the frame. However, the Green & White were unable to cash in, stranding the pair at second and third.
In the seventh, the Seahawks loaded the bases on a walk, error and hit batter but would again come away empty handed.
Drechsel reached base safely on a walk and was hit by a pitch to lead the Green & White on offense.
Sophomore Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) started and took the loss. He is now 1-2 after striking out two while yielding four runs over 3.0 innings.
Brown went 2-3 with two RBI to lead the UCF offense, which scored its six runs on just eight hits in helping Jay Bergman to his 1,200 career win.
The two teams will meet again tomorrow night at 6:30 pm.
