Feb. 18, 2011

Final Stats.html

Dan Paolini and Kevin Quaranto picked up where they left off, and the Siena baseball team hung around for a while, before giving way late in an 11-1 season-opening loss at Central Florida Friday night.

Paolini's fourth inning home run accounted for Siena's only score in the game, and Quaranto pushed the sixth longest active hit streak in the nation to 24 games. Those were the two bright spots for the Saints.

Darnell Sweeney had three hits and three RBI to pace the Knights attack. Travis Shreve, Derek Luciano and Ryan Breen each had two hits.

UCF jumped out to a 3-0 lead in their first at bat in a rally highlighted by cleanup man Jonathan Griffin's two-run home run. They pushed the lead to 4-0 in the second inning off Siena starter Kyle Sumple, but were held scoreless in their next five at bats.

Paolini's blast made it a 4-1 game in the fourth, but UCF sent 11 men to the plate in a seven-run eighth that broke the game wide open.

Paolini was the only Saint to post multiple hits, ending 2-for-4.

Freshmen John Rooney and Ken Kirshner got opening day starts in the outfield. Kirshner ended 1-for-2 and Rooney was the leadoff man, but both players were charged with errors in the field.

Sumple went four innings, allowing three hits and three earned runs. He was followed by Ryan Poplawskki who tossed three innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs, and Neil Fryer, who was credited with one inning of work and one earned run allowed.

The two teams play a 4 p.m. game Saturday before wrapping up the three-game set Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.