PENSACOLA, Fla. – UWF baseball (2-3) opened its 2018 home schedule with a doubleheader sweep vs. Rollins (3-2) at Jim Spooner Field Friday, defeating the Tars by finals of 5-1 and 5-3. Tony Kucera and Alex Knight each picked up their first Argo wins, and Joey Bend starred at the plate for UWF, piling up three hits, two runs scored and three RBIs over the two games.
UWF has now earned either a series win or split in its home-opener series in ten of thirteen years under head coach Mike Jeffcoat. The victories improved the Argos to 19-4 vs. Rollins since 2008.
Game 1: Argos 5, Tars 1
UWF got its most effective start of the season so far from lefty Tony Kucera (1-0), who twirled six innings of four-hit, shutout baseball to earn his first win. Kucera struck out three and issued no walks or extra-base hits to key the victory.
Bend got the scoring started in the first, singling home Mason Dinesen and Nic Strasser, who boarded with a hit-by-pitch and double respectively. Dinesen picked up an RBI in the sixth on a groundout to score Jacob Silverstein to run the lead to 3-0. Robert Lopez scored later in the sixth on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.
Whitt Davis allowed a leadoff home run to Bryce Peterson in the seventh but settled down to strand two baserunners. Lopez picked up his second hit of the game in the eighth, leading off the frame with a double before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Harmon.
Avery Geyer picked up his first save by retiring all six he faced in the eighth and ninth innings, four via strikeout. Rollins starter Brad Case (1-1), who was tagged for four runs (two earned) over 5.2 innings suffered the loss. Argo pitching allowed just two Tars to reach scoring position. Only Peterson on the seventh inning home run was able to reach third base.
Game 2: Argos 5, Tars 3
LHP Kirk Maddox got the start for the Argos in Game 2. He pitched into the fifth, allowing just one run (one earned) while striking out three and allowing two walks. The Argo bats built him the lead in the second on an RBI single by Bryant Harris Jr. and then added to the early advantage in the fourth. Bend doubled to start that frame and eventually scored on a balk by Rollins starter Cameron Enck.
The Tars evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the fifth, tagging Maddox plus relief man Trace Penton for a pair of runs. Alex Knight kept the frame from getting out of hand, inducing a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to escape further trouble.
UWF quickly got the runs back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Matthew Estrada to score Silverstein and a sacrifice fly by Bend to score Dinesen.
Rollins tagged Knight for an unearned run in the top of the sixth on an RBI base hit by Peterson before UWF took the advantage back to two runs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Matthew Sullivan that scored Harris.
The Tars loaded the bases in the seventh vs. relief men Jared Middleton and Matt Whetstone, but Whetstone left all three aboard to earn his first save. Enck (0-1), who allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits over 4.1 innings, suffered the loss. Knight (1-0), who pitched 1.2 innings while allowing two hits, one earned run and striking out two, earned his first win.
Argo pitching allowed nine walks but also stranded a season-high 14 baserunners. The Tars outhit the Argos 6-5. Each team finished the game with two errors.
UWF is scheduled to travel to Columbus State Tuesday, Feb. 13. Start time in Columbus, Ga. is slated for 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT.
For the latest information on the Argos, follow the team on Twitter @UWF_Baseball.
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