ORLANDO, Fla. (Interstat) — Braden Smith delivered a dominant bounce-back performance, and the UCF Knights’ offense erupted for five runs in a chaotic sixth inning to surge past the Murray State Racers 8-3 on Friday night at Jay Bergman Field.

The game, which featured a combined 22 hits, turned decisively in the bottom of the sixth. UCF, trailing 3-2, sent 11 batters to the plate against three Murray State pitchers to transform a one-run deficit into a commanding 6-3 lead. The inning encapsulated a night of missed opportunities for the Racers and resilient execution by the Knights.

Murray State had carried a 3-1 lead into the fourth, built on a solo home run by center fielder Kainen Jorge in the top of that inning and a sacrifice fly by Pena in the sixth. Racers starter Nic Schutte held UCF hitless through five and one-third innings, but command issues proved costly as he walked four and allowed four runs, only two of which were earned.

The Knights’ sixth-inning rally began with a leadoff single by Andrew Moran. After a groundout advanced him, shortstop Jordan Lodise walked. Austin Jacobs, who finished a perfect 3-for-3, then laced a single to left field to score Moran and tie the game, chasing Schutte.

Reese Oakley entered in relief for Murray State and immediately surrendered an RBI single to Matt Ross, scoring Lodise to give UCF its first lead at 4-3. A balk by Oakley moved both runners into scoring position, and after a walk loaded the bases, another walk to Andrew Skinner forced in a run. Ben Rosin replaced Oakley but unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Ross to score, capping the five-run outburst that put the Knights ahead 6-3.

UCF added insurance in the seventh on an RBI double by Lodise and a double steal that saw Lodise swipe home for the final run.

The offensive support was more than enough for Smith, the UCF starter who earned the win. Smith, coming off a rough outing against South Florida where he allowed six earned runs, was sharp over six innings. He surrendered two earned runs on four hits, striking out five and walking none. His effort stabilized the Knights after they fell behind early.

Murray State’s bullpen struggles were the story, as Oakley and Rosin combined to allow four runs while recording just three outs in the pivotal sixth. In contrast, Jackson Ugo provided strong relief for the Racers with 1.2 hitless innings, and Mateo Gray earned a three-inning save for UCF, allowing one run over the final three frames.

The most important sequence of the game was undoubtedly the bottom of the sixth. Murray State had just extended its lead to 3-2 in the top half and appeared to have momentum. Schutte’s no-hit bid ended, and the combination of a key hit, a critical error, reliever command issues and patient at-bats by UCF unraveled the Racers’ advantage completely. The inning featured only three hits but was prolonged by two walks, a balk, a wild pitch and relentless Knights pressure.

With the victory, UCF improved to 7-5 on the season, while Murray State fell to 10-4. The teams are scheduled to continue their three-game series on Saturday.

According to pregame projections, Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a Murray State victory with a final score of 8-4, while its ELO rating system gave UCF a 57.3% probability to win.