No. 17 West Virginia Clinches Series Over UCF in a Crazy Game 2

ORLANDO – The No. 17 West Virginia Mountaineers (36-5 ,15-3) outslugged the UCF Knights (23-19, 6-14) Saturday night for the 15-10 win.

West Virginia captured a large lead in the top of the first inning after singles from junior Skylar King and senior Kyle West and junior Sam White worked a one-out walk to load the bases before freshman Gavin Kelley dropped a two-RBI single in shallow left-centerfield and senior Grant Hussey drove an RBI double to right field. Then, senior Brodie Kresser laid a bunt down the first base line all the way to the bag for an RBI single before sophomore Spencer Barnett capped a five run first with a sacrifice fly to center for the 5-0 lead.

UCF answered in the bottom of the frame. West Virginia starting pitcher Gavin Van Kempen had a rough outing. The junior walked consecutive batters to start the inning, then sophomore Andrew Williamson delivered an RBI single to put the Knights on the board and senior Andrew Sundean lifted a three-run home run over the left field wall to pull UCF within one 5-4.

The Knights took the lead in the fourth when senior Matt Prevesk hit a leadoff double, a single from sophomore Antonio Jimenez scored Prevesk and Sundean ripped an RBI double down the left field line for the 6-5 lead.

Kelley tied the game in the fifth with a sacrifice RBI to centerfield, but in the bottom of the inning with the bases loaded, senior reliver Reese Bassinger walked in the go-ahead run.

West Virginia knotted the game in the seventh after West beat the throw on an infield single to first. Sophomore Armani Guzman entered the game as a pinch-runner and proceeded to steal second. Then with one out, White hit a ground ball over to first and after redshirt junior reliver covered the bag for the out, he threw the ball on the ground towards the mound and Guzman came into to score.

UCF reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning following singles from junior DeAmez Ross and Jimenez to place runners at the corners before Williams put the ball in play for the sacrifice RBI and an 8-7 lead.

In the eighth, West Virginia regained the lead, putting four runs on the board. An error from junior second baseman Edian Espinal put Hussey at first, Kresser followed with a single, then King ripped a ground ball down the third base line into the left field corner for a two-RBI double. Guzman laid down a fielder’s choice RBI bunt and Logan Sauve put the ball in play to King for the 11-8 lead.

The Knights pulled back within a run in the bottom the frame after Espinal reached on an error at third, redshirt junior Dylan King received a one-out walk and Prevesk singled to load the bases. West Virginia junior reliever Carson Estridge walked in a run before Jimenez hit a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the WVU lead to one, 11-10.

West Virginia broke the game open in the ninth after Kelly worked a walk, Hussey slapped a single through the right side, Kresser dropped a fly ball that dropped in shallow centerfield for an RBI single before junior Benjamin Lumsden blasted a three-run home run over the right field wall into the parking lot for a four-run ninth and a 15-10 lead.

Estridge kept the Knights off the board in the ninth as the Mountaineers take game two with the 15-10 decision.

The Mountaineers will look for the series sweep Sunday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.  EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Kole Taylor Signs with the Cincinnati Bengals

Wyatt Milum Selected by Jacksonville Jaguars in Third Round of 2025 NFL Draft

Garrett Greene Signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers