Cougars Notch 8-7 Walk-Off Win Over Knights

PROVO, Utah – BYU evened its Big 12 opening series with UCF 1-1 with an 8-7 walk-off win in the 10th inning over UCF on Friday night at Miller Park. 

“Our guys know they’re never out of it,” said head coach Trent Pratt. “I think that’s an important thing when you win games. They believe in each other.”

With the game knotted at 7-7 in the bottom of the tenth inning, Luke Anderson singled to left center, scoring Tu'alau Wolfgramm to walk-off the Knights with an 8-7 win. 

“As a team we tried to stay locked in offensively and keep fighting,” said Keoni Painter who was 3-3 with four RBIs. “Hats off to Cooper [Vest] and Luke [Anderson] for coming through in the clutch with huge hits when we needed it late.”

The Cougars now have their second walk-off win in as many weeks at Miller Park.

BYU Highlights

Keoni Painter: 3-3, 2 Runs, 4 RBI
Brock Watkins: 2-4, RBI
Bryker Hurdsman: 2-4, 3 Runs, 1 RBI
Ashton Johnson: 1.0 IP, 3 SO, 0 R, 0 H

Keoni Painter broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the second inning with a two-run home run over the right field wall. Painter's two-out blast scored Hurdsman who had reached first on a walk. 

BYU (11-6, 1-1) escaped a jam in the top half of the third inning with bases loaded and two outs when UCF (14-4,1-1) second baseman Edian Espinal grounded out to Easton Jones who stepped on third for the force out to end the threat. 

After a scoreless third inning, the Cougars extended their lead to 5-0 with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth. Painter got the scoring going with a two-run single that scored Cooper Vest and Bryker Hurdsman, who had walked and singled. Jones then doubled moving Painter to third and Parker Goff drove in the third run of the inning with a single to left field. 

UCF picked up two runs on two doubles and two walks in the top of the fifth to cut the BYU lead to 5-2. 

Brock Watkins got a run back for the Cougars in the bottom half of the inning to make it 6-2 with an RBI double that scored Hurdsman who had previously singled up the middle. 

After three scoreless innings, the Knights rallied in the top of the ninth to take a 7-6 lead with five runs on four hits and a BYU error.

Vest then took matters into his own hands with an opposite-field solo home run over the left field wall to lead off the bottom of the ninth and tie the game at 7-7. 

BYU reliever Ashton Johnson came on in relief in the top of the tenth and held UCF scoreless with three quick strikeouts. 

Parker Goff then led off the tenth by reaching first on a walk and advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by centerfielder Crew McChesney. With two outs, Anderson then singled sharply to left center for the 8-7 walkoff win. 

Up Next

BYU will finalize its three-game series with UCF on Saturday at 1 p.m. MDT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and BYU Radio.