ORLANDO – Paxton Wallace homered twice, including a grand slam, leading Wichita State to a 10-3 win over the UCF Knights in game three of an American Athletic Conference series Saturday, May 8, at John Euliano Park.
 
Wichita State (24-18, 12-10 American) and UCF (23-24, 13-10 American) are scheduled to play the fourth and final game of the series at 11 a.m. CT (noon ET) Sunday, May 9.
 
A native of Greenbrier, Ark., Wallace went 2-for-4 at the plate, tallying two homers in a game for the third time this season, and drove in a game-high six runs to lead the Shockers.
 
Hunter Gibson added a pair of hits, while Jack Sigrist, Ross Cadena and Andrew Stewart each doubled in the game, with Stewart also batting in two runs, and Sigrist and Gibson each posting one RBI, respectively.
 
Wichita State right-hander Liam Eddy (4-7) earned the victory on the mound after allowing three earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in five innings of work.
 
WSU relievers LJ McDonough (three innings) and Tommy Barnhouse (one inning) each had scoreless outings in the win.
 
The Shockers opened the scoring early, plating two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead after Wallace belted the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for a two-run homer.
 
The Knights answered with two in the bottom-half of the inning, tying the contest, 2-2, but the Shockers outscored UCF 4-0 over the next three innings, plating a run each in the second and fourth, and two in the third, opening up a 6-2 advantage going into the fifth inning.
 
After a two-out throwing error allowed WSU to load the bases in the fifth, Wallace cleared them promptly, crushing a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left for a grand slam, ballooning the lead to 10-2. It was his ninth homer of the season.
 
The WSU pitching staff took over from there, holding the Knights to just one run over the final four innings, securing the 10-3 win.
 
Jordan Rathbone with 2-for-4, pacing UCF offensively.
 
Knight starter Jack Sinclair (3-5) suffered the loss on the rubber after allowing six runs – four earned – on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks in three innings.