ORLANDO – They don’t call them the Cardiac Knights for nothing. Thanks to a two-run walk-off single from Edian Espinal, UCF baseball grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat and topped Bryant by the score of 7-6 in the first of a three-game series on Friday night at John Euliano Park.
“In those situations, the big spots, you try to see your best players have the best at-bats and that’s what I thought we did tonight.” head coach Rich Wallace said.
UCF, who trailed nearly all game, found itself heading into the bottom of the ninth down 6-4 to Bryant. But the Black and Gold would rally. Thanks to an infield single by Braden Calise, a double by Andrew Williamson and a walk by Lex Boedicker, the Knights would load the bases with nobody out in the frame. Andrew Sundean would then draw a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit to one. This set up Espinal, in his first and only at-bat of the game, to be the hero as he delivered a two-run pinch-hit single to left to give UCF the win. This also marked Espinal’s first RBIs in a Black and Gold uniform.
“My emotions are through the roof,” Espinal said. “I’m very happy about what happened and I’m very happy to be here right now.”
https://t.co/Q5D16mT5dY pic.twitter.com/xTGeQ4XTZa
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) February 22, 2025
In addition to Espinal, teammates Antonio Jimenez, Kendrey Maduro and Williamson drove in runs in the ballgame for the Knights. Jimenez would force home Chase Krewson on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the second to put UCF on the board. Maduro would score the Knights’ second run of the game later that inning on a balk. Trailing 5-2 in the fifth, Williamson would hit an RBI double, and Maduro followed later that inning with an RBI single to pull within a run.
In total, the Black and Gold offense combined for 10 hits, with seven batters recording at least one.
Williamson led the way by going 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Calise also had an impressive performance, recording two hits and two runs scored.
Russell Sandefer (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Knights. Coming into the game in the eighth inning, he would face just seven batters over two solid two innings. Sandefer surrendered just one hit and no runs while also striking out three batters. His two clean innings of work played a pivotal role in setting up the ninth-inning rally.
“The mindset is that we got dudes in the dugout who are going to get the job done,” Sandefer said. “It’s not a matter if, it’s a matter of when and who. And you know, I’m playing for the guy next to me and I know if I throw up some zeros, we’ll have a chance to win the game. And that’s what happened.”
Sandefer locks it down in the top of the eight 🔒 @SandeferRussell pic.twitter.com/GzS3Z7Abiz
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) February 22, 2025
Fellow pitchers Dom Stagliano and Dominic Castellano also played key roles in the game, as they combined for eight strikeouts in seven innings.
With the win, UCF moves to 5-0 on the season, the second straight year under Wallace in which the team has started the season with five straight wins.
Game two of the series against Bryant will be Saturday at 6 p.m. at John Euliano Park. Wiley Hartley is scheduled to get the start for the Black and Gold. The Knights and Bulldogs will close the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
After the Bryant series, the Knights will close an eight-match homestand on Tuesday against Florida Atlantic before traveling to Tampa to take on rival South Florida in a three-game series starting on Friday.