Freshman No. 9 hitter Brady Shannon went a perfect 4-for-4 punctuated by a 2-out walk-off solo home run in the ninth as UCF prevailed 2-1 over Siena Baseball in a pitchers' duel in Orlando.
 
Freshman righthander Ryan Bates and sophomore southpaw Billy Rozakis were superb on the mound in the tough luck loss for Siena (0-2). The duo combined to hold the top six batters in the order hitless, while scattering just seven hits overall with three walks and 10 strikeouts.
 
Siena scored their only run and took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Vincent DiNicola worked a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI single to center by Vincenzo Castronovo.
 
But that would be the only offense that the Saints were able to muster against three UCF (2-0) pitchers who combined on a five-hitter with 15 strikeouts. Willie Schwarick paced Siena with a pair of singles.
 
The Knights knotted the score on an RBI single by Shannon in the fifth. Then, with two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the freshman sent an opposite field shot just over the wall in right to win it.
 
The Saints will look to salvage the season-opening three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m.