WICHITA, Kan. – UCF scored seven runs with two outs and fended off a ninth inning Wichita State rally to defeat the Shockers 8-5 on Friday night at Eck Stadium.

The Shockers (13-25) entered the ninth trailing 8-4 after the Knights tacked on an insurance run in the top of the inning. After a leadoff walk to Andrew Stewart, Couper Cornblum rifled a single to put two on with nobody out. Following an infield pop up, Chuck Ingram rammed a double to the gap in left-center that scored Stewart, trimming the UCF lead to 8-5 and bringing the potential tying run to the plate. The Knights summoned closer Kyle Kramer, who retired Brock Rodden on a foul out to third and Sawyre Thornhill on a fly out to deep center to secure the win. It was the third save of the season for Kramer. 

Wichita State carried a 4-3 lead into the top of the sixth, when the Knights struck for three runs against starter Jace Kaminska (2-5) and reliever Caden Favors. A squeeze bunt from Tom Josten tied the game at 4-4, and Trent Taylor followed with a two-run homer to left to give the Knights a 6-4 advantage. 

Andrew Sundean blasted a solo home run of his own with two outs in the seventh to extend the lead to 7-4, and Ryan Taylor tacked on the ninth inning insurance run with a two-out RBI single off reliever Creighton Hansen.

UCF opened the scoring with a pair of two-out runs in the second. Following a walk, Michael Brooks skied a two-run homer to center that gave the Knights a 2-0 lead, though the Shockers quickly answered in the bottom of the inning when Cornblum lined a two-run single into right to tie the game at 2-2.

Sundean gave UCF a 3-2 lead in the third, reaching on an infield single that produced a throwing error, scoring Lex Boedicker from second with the go-ahead run. Wichita State took their first lead in the home half, inching in front 4-3 on a pair of run-scoring singles from Jordan Rogers and Andrew Stewart.

Wichita State chased UCF starter Cameron Crain after just 1.2 innings, and got to reliever Ruddy Gomez for a pair of runs. But Ben Vespi (3-2) righted the ship out of the UCF bullpen, tossing four hitless, scoreless innings before running into trouble in the ninth. The right-hander struck out five and walked two.

The Shockers continue the series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch from Eck Stadium is scheduled for 2:00 pm.