MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team came from behind on Friday evening to take the first game of the series against No. 17 UCF, 7-6. The Mountaineers improve to 20-13 and 9-4 in the Big 12 while the Knights fall to 21-10 and 8-8 in conference play.
 
Junior Kyle West led the charge for WVU with three hits and four RBI, including his seventh home run of the season. Senior Reed Chumley and junior Brodie Kresser added two hits on the night for the Mountaineers.
 
Sophomore Carson Estridge earned his first win of the season on the mound by allowing just one run in 2.2 innings of relief. Redshirt-sophomore David Hagaman had a bounce-back performance with five strikeouts in 2.0 innings to earn his second save.
 
After enduring a 90-minute rain delay, West Virginia jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the second inning. Freshman Aaron Jamison delivered an RBI single before teaming up with Kresser on a first-and-third double steal.
 
Junior Aidan Major struck out six through three scoreless innings to begin the game, but his fortunes turned in the fourth and fifth as the Knights score five runs in those two innings to take the lead. Major finished his outing with eight strikeouts while allowing five runs and walking five.
 
In the home half of the fifth, West got the Mountaineers back within one by hitting a towering two-run home run that stayed just inside the left-field foul pole.
 
In the seventh, UCF got one run back, but West evened things up in the bottom half with a two-run triple that the centerfielder misjudged, allowing the ball to get over his head. The game looked like it would remain tied after seven when Kresser got jammed and looped the ball over to first, but it was dropped, allowing West to come home with the go-ahead run.
 
Hagaman came into the game in the eighth and struck the first two batters out before allowing a single. However, that runner was erased as he over slid second base when trying to advance on a ball in the dirt.
 
In the ninth, Hagaman was dominant as he needed just 13 pitches to strike out the side and secure the WVU victory.
 
The two teams will be back on Saturday afternoon for game two of the series. First pitch from Kendrick Family Ballpark is set for 4 p.m.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.