ORLANDO, Fla. — Corrigan Bartlett hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to lift Wichita State to a 7-6, come-from-behind win at UCF in the series finale of a four-game American Athletic Conference series Sunday, May 9, at John Euliano Park.
With the victory, the Shockers take three of four games from the Knights and improve to 25-18 overall and 13-10 in The American, while UCF falls to 23-25 on the season and 13-11 in conference action.
Bartlett went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI, while Seth Stroh went 2-for-3, including a home run, and Hunter Gibson and Paxton Wallace each had a pair of hits, pacing Wichita State at the plate.
WSU reliever Aaron Haase (1-1) earned the win on the mound after throwing two scoreless innings and allowing just one hit with no walks and three strikeouts.
The Shockers and Knights each traded runs in the opening two innings, with each team scoring a run in the first and second innings, resulting in a 2-2 tie going into the top of the third.
Wichita State ended the trend in the third, scoring three runs after Jack Sigrist crossed home plate on a double-play and Bartlett launched a two-run homer over the left field wall, gaining a 5-2 advantage. It was Bartlett's sixth round-tripper of the season.
The Knights responded though, plating a run in the fourth and three in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead.
WSU had an answer of its own, however, and was able to tie the game, 6-6, when Andrew Stewart worked a bases loaded walk in the eighth inning.
Haase shut down UCF in the bottom-half of the inning with a pair of strikeouts and a ground-out, keeping the contest knotted going to the ninth.
After Wallace reached on a one-out walk, pinch-hitter Cooper Elliott smacked an infield single down the first-base line, allowing Wallace to advance to third with Bartlett up to bat.
Bartlett hit the first pitch he saw out to left field, bringing in Wallace on his team-best sixth sacrifice fly of the season, allowing Wichita State to regain a 7-6 edge.
Tom Josten went 2-for-3 with a double and home run, and batted-in three, pacing UCF offensively.
Reliever Billy McKay (1-2) suffered the loss for the Knights after giving up two earned runs on two hits with three walks and a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings.
The Shockers are scheduled to welcome South Florida to Eck Stadium for a four-game series May 14-16.
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