By: Shanna Rose
ORLANDO, Fla.–The West Virginia University baseball team rallied to beat UCF 15-10 on Saturday evening at John Euliano Park.
Brodie Kresser and Kyle West each had three hits for the Mountaineers (36-5, 15-3 Big 12) and Gavin Kelly and Ben Lumsden both knocked in three runs.
Andrew Sundean and Edian Espinal led the Knights (23-19, 6-14) with three hits apiece.
Trailing 8-7 in the eighth, WVU rallied and put up a four-spot to retake the lead. Grant Hussey reached on an error and Kresser singled before Jace Rinehart walked to load the bases. Then Skylar King blasted a two-run double down the left field line.
Rinehart scored on Armani Guzman’s bunt and King scored on a ground ball from Logan Sauve to give the Mountaineers an 11-8 lead.
In the bottom half of the frame, UCF pushed for its comeback bid. Espinal reached on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Chase Meyer struck out the next batter before walking King.
Carson Estridge came in for Meyer and the Knights loaded the bases before DeAmez Ross walked on eight pitches to make it an 11-9 contest. The Knights scored one more on Antonio Jiminez’s sac fly to make it 11-10.
In the ninth, WVU added some insurance runs. Kelly led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on Hussey’s base hit. Then Kresser knocked in Kelly with a single to center field. An unlikely hero, Lumsden, later came through with a three-run home run to extend the lead to 15-10.
Estridge came back out to close out the ninth and gave up a pair of hits but ultimately kept UCF off the scoreboard.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning but the Knights came barreling back in the bottom of the inning to make a 5-4 game.
The Knights took a 6-5 lead in the fourth on Jiminez’s single and a double down the right field line from Sundean.
WVU would tie the game in the fifth and seventh before UCF would get the run back the next at-bat.
Lumsden’s home run was his first of the season.
Meyer picked up his team-leading eighth win of the season while Estridge collected his fifth save.
The series finale is Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m and the Mountaineers will look for their fourth consecutive sweep.
Photo Credit: Shanna Rose
