UCF walks off Kansas State, finishes regular season with Big 12 statement
Rich Wallace had two requests for UCF’s returning players and seniors when the Knights met to begin this season.
Make a stand in the Big 12.
And find a way to play better late in games, especially when the bullpen was thin and the margin for error was small.
UCF did both Saturday afternoon at John Euliano Park.
Freshman Stephen Chucka tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a pinch-hit solo home run, and senior first baseman Landon Moran helped finish it two batters later, putting the ball on the right side and forcing a throwing error that allowed Andrew Williamson to score from third in UCF’s 6-5 walk-off win over Kansas State.
The victory gave UCF a series win in its regular-season finale, pushed the Knights to 31-20 overall and 19-11 in Big 12 play, and secured a top-four finish in the conference standings.
For a program that went 9-21 in Big 12 play a season ago, it was a fitting way to close the regular season.
“I was thinking back when the guys were down there, flip back a year ago, what those seniors and the returners had to go through and what that felt like at the end of the year,” Wallace said. “I asked them when we first met to do two things. One, make a stand in this league and go from nine wins to 19, obviously making a stand that we can compete in this league. And then I asked them to play better at the end of games on Sundays, no matter what we had left in the bullpen, find a way to win. They did that today as well, so I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Another late-game answer
UCF trailed 5-4 entering the bottom of the ninth after Kansas State pushed across the go-ahead run in the top half on Grant Gallagher’s sacrifice fly.
Kansas State turned to James Guyette, who entered the series coming off Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week honors after a complete-game win over Cincinnati.
Chucka, however, did not let the moment get too big.
The freshman came off the bench and drove a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left-center for his first home run of the season, tying the game at 5.
“He loves to hit,” Wallace said. “He does a really good job of blocking out the noise and getting up there and just looking for a heater and hitting. We saw that today. He was rolling in the beginning, and then the normal stuff happens for freshmen and he struggled through that. Then he got sick, and then he had to fight his way back in there. Man, I’m glad he took those two swings this weekend.”
After John Smith III lined out and Zak Skinner grounded out, Williamson kept the inning alive with a two-out single to center. Javier Crespo followed with a single up the middle, sending Williamson from first to third.
That brought Moran to the plate.
“No, that actually never crossed my mind,” Moran said when asked if he thought about it possibly being his final at-bat at John Euliano Park. “I just kind of blacked out and wanted to put the ball in play and make something happen. Luckily, that’s what I did.”
Moran hit a ground ball to the right side, and Kansas State first baseman Ty Smolinski’s throw to the pitcher covering first sailed away. Williamson crossed the plate, and the Knights poured out of the dugout.
“Honestly, I just put my head down and ran,” Moran said. “I knew I made contact with it. I knew it was on the right side. I just put my head down and ran as hard as I could. Luckily, he missed it.”
Moran, Lodise pace the offense
Moran was in the middle of nearly everything UCF did offensively.
He finished 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored. He doubled in the sixth and scored on Jordan Lodise’s RBI double to give UCF a 3-2 lead. He singled in the eighth, advanced on a wild pitch, moved to third on Cayden Gaskin’s groundout and scored on Lodise’s fielder’s choice to tie the game at 4.
Lodise drove in three runs, adding a sacrifice fly in the second, an RBI double in the sixth and the game-tying fielder’s choice in the eighth.
Crespo also had a strong afternoon, going 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and a solo home run in the fourth. Williamson added two hits and scored the winning run.
UCF finished with 10 hits and scored in five different innings, continuing to find answers even as Kansas State kept responding.
“Once he scores, it was a lot of fun,” Wallace said. “It’s a lot of stressful stuff — pinch-hitting, knowing we’re thin in the bullpen, using guys. But just to see those guys, Chucka coming off the bench and getting that hit, and then Williamson battling with two outs, going first to third on Crespo’s hit, and then something crazy happens in that last hour. We figure out a way to do it.”
Rosado gave UCF a boost in the middle innings
Kansas State scored first in the opening inning on an AJ Evasco groundout, then went back in front 2-1 in the fourth on Smolinski’s RBI double.
But Kaniel Rosado helped settle the game for UCF.
The freshman right-hander entered with two outs in the fourth and gave the Knights 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits with no walks and two strikeouts. It was a critical bridge on a day when UCF’s bullpen was already stretched and the Knights were trying to avoid going to extra innings.
“In hindsight, I probably should have left him out there,” Wallace said. “But I thought he did his job, and we had those two guys, and we were trying to win it in nine. I didn’t really know what we were going to do if we went to the 10th, so we were trying to win that thing in nine. He’s really grown up. I’ve seen some really dominant outings, and I saw some outings where he wasn’t as good or as sharp. To see him bounce back, that’s really what you want to see from the young kids.”
Kansas State still created problems late.
Kyan Lodice opened the eighth with a pinch-hit solo home run off Evan Jones to tie the game at 3. Gallagher followed with a single and later scored on Cadyn Karl’s RBI single to put the Wildcats ahead 4-3.
UCF tied it in the bottom of the eighth, but Kansas State reclaimed the lead in the ninth after Evasco walked, Rohan Putz pinch-ran, advanced on a wild pitch, moved to third on Lodice’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Gallagher’s sacrifice fly.
Max Murray, who inherited trouble from Evan Jones in the ninth, limited the damage and earned the win, improving to 5-2.
Wallace said the pitching staff still had some things to clean up, especially after Kansas State drew seven walks and stranded 12 runners.
“That’s a really good offense,” Wallace said. “I think we could have limited some stuff with the leadoff walks and the two-out walks creating some stuff. We’ve got to control the leadoff batter and attack the zone a little bit better than we did in some spots. But we were tough and made some big pitches in some big spots.”
Seniors leave John Euliano Park with a memory
For Moran, the moment was especially meaningful.
He transferred to UCF from Stetson for his final season and quickly became one of the Knights’ steadiest players, both defensively and offensively. Saturday may have been his final game at John Euliano Park, though Moran is still holding out hope that UCF’s postseason path eventually brings baseball back to Orlando.
“Awesome, especially being a senior,” Moran said of being mobbed by his teammates. “Nothing better you could ask for right there, having all the guys come after you running, especially to celebrate a big win. It was awesome.”
Moran said the season has been the most fun he has had in college baseball.
“I wish I came sooner,” Moran said. “This is the most fun I’ve had in a college baseball season by far. I wish I came and hung out with these guys a lot longer. One year’s not enough, but I’m grateful I was able to do it for this last year.”
Senior right-hander Kris Sosnowski, a two-time team captain who has spent his entire career at UCF, said the season has been defined by the same quality that showed up again Saturday.
“No quit,” Sosnowski said. “It doesn’t matter what the score is. We just don’t give up until the last out.”
The Knights now move on to the Big 12 Tournament in Surprise, Arizona, with a double bye, an NCAA Tournament resume that appears secure and a regular season that already represents a major step forward in Wallace’s third season.
But Saturday was also about the players who helped push the program to this point.
“There’s a group of seniors out there that I think deserved to go out that way,” Wallace said. “I’m happy for them. That could be their last moment on that field. For them to go out that way, I couldn’t be more happy for them.”
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