ORLANDO, Fla. – In a game that lasted nearly five hours, the West Virginia University baseball team came out on top, 15-10, over UCF, Saturday evening at John Euliano Park. The Mountaineers improve to 36-5 and 15-3 in the Big 12 while the Knights fall to 23-19 and 6-14 in conference play.
 
Seniors Brodie Kresser and Kyle West each had three hits on the night while freshman Gavin Kelly and junior Ben Lumsden each drove in three runs. Lumsden's three RBI came on a three-run home run in the ninth inning, his first of the season.
 
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first as Kelly opened the scoring with a two-run single. Senior Grant Hussey followed with an RBI double before a bunt single by Kresser and a sacrifice fly by freshman Spencer Barnett knocked in two more.
 
UCF responded in the home half with four runs to get right back in the game before taking the lead with two runs in the fourth inning.
 
In the fifth, the teams traded runs with Kelly hitting a sacrifice fly for WVU, as the Knights held on to a one-run lead.
 
The wackiest play of the night came in the seventh as junior Sam White grounded out to first for the second out. However, the pitcher thought there were three outs and tossed the ball away, allowing sophomore Armani Guzman to score the tying run from second base.
 
After UCF retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh, the Mountaineers answered with four runs in the eighth to take the lead. The big hit came off the bat of junior Skylar King as he doubled home two with the bases loaded to put WVU in front. A squeeze bunt from Guzman added another run before WVU tacked on one more to take an 11-8 lead.
 
The Knights got two runs back in the eighth to get back within one, but junior Carson Estridge escaped the inning with WVU still in front.
 
In the ninth, Kresser had an RBI single before Lumsden slammed a three-run home run to put the game away.
 
Sophomore Chase Meyer earned his team-leading eighth win of the season while Estridge collected his fifth save.
 
The Mountaineers will go for their fourth consecutive series sweep on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
 
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