Baseball Completes Big 12 Sweep with 6-5 Walk-Off Win over Oklahoma StateBaseball Completes Big 12 Sweep with 6-5 Walk-Off Win over Oklahoma State

Baseball Completes Big 12 Sweep with 6-5 Walk-Off Win over Oklahoma State

by James Warnick
Box Score

ORLANDO – Anthony Lariz struck out back-to-back hitters to leave the bases loaded in the top of the ninth and James Hankerson Jr. won it for the Knights in the bottom of the inning with a walk-off RBI single to propel UCF to a 6-5 triumph over Oklahoma State to sweep the opening Big 12 series.

The sweep marked the Knights first three-game Big 12 series sweep since joining the conference prior to the 2024 season.

UCF improved to 12-6 overall and a perfect 3-0 in league play with the conference-opening sweep. OK State dropped to 12-7 and 0-3 in Big 12 play with the setback.

“This is a tough group, and they fought until the end,” head UCF coach Rich Wallace said. “After (Anthony) Lariz got us out of that mess in the ninth, Landon (Moran) followed by grinding out a two-strike at-bat and coming up with a big hit for us in the bottom of the inning. DeAmez (Ross) then executed and Hank (James Hankerson Jr.) has been pretty clutch as of late. A big game all around.”

With Oklahoma State holding to a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning, Hankerson Jr. got the Knight offense going by belting out a two-run home run to right field to deadlock the score. The round tripper marked Hankerson Jr.’s first as a Knight and came with two outs as he followed a two-out DeAmez Ross single with the two-run shot.

With the UCF bullpen putting zeros on the scoreboard, the Black and Gold added two more runs in the last of the sixth to take a 4-2 advantage. Cayden Gaskin worked a leadoff walk and Williamson singled. Following a wild pitch, the two came in to score on a two-run single up the middle from John Smith III.

The Cowboys pulled to within a run at 4-3 in the seventh on a solo home run from Kollin Ritchie. After UCF reliever Evan Jones retired the Pokes in order in the top of the eighth, the Knights answered with a two-out insurance run off the bat of Zak Skinner to make it 5-3. Smith III started a two-out rally in the frame with a double to deep center field. Skinner then followed with a clutch RBI single down the rightfield line to bring in Smith III.

The Cowboys wouldn’t go away easily in the ninth, however, by loading the bases with one out. OK State then worked consecutive bases-loaded walks to tie the game at 5-5. With the bases still loaded and only one out, the Knights then went to Lariz on the mound. The redshirt freshman right-hander recorded back-to-back strikeouts of TP Wentworth and Garrett Shull to strand the runners and send it the bottom of the ninth.

Landon Moran led off the last of the ninth for the Black and Gold with a big single into right field to put the winning run on the base paths. Ross then followed by dropping down a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt to move Moran into scoring position. Hankerson Jr. then didn’t waste any time winning it for the Knights, as he pulled a walk-off RBI single through the right side of the infield on the first pitch of the at-bat to score Moran and complete UCF’s third walk-off victory in as many weeks.

Hankerson Jr. paced the offense by going 2-for-4 with a home run and a game-high three runs batted in. He also scored a run. Smith III was next by going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, while Ross too had a multiple-hit outing by going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Lariz earned the victory on the mound in relief to move to 2-0 on the season, while OSU closer Noah Wech was tagged with his first loss to drop to 2-1. In all, UCF used eight pitchers in the ballgame.

With the sweep, UCF has now won eight of its last nine games.

The contest marked UCF’s 11th game of a current 12-game homestand and seventh straight game against a 2025 NCAA Tournament team.

On Deck

The Knights will close a 12-game homestand by hosting Columbia on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in midweek action. Following Tuesday’s contest, UCF will hit the road for a Big 12 series at No. 14 TCU next weekend.