The UCF Knights and North Carolina State needed two days to settle their Auburn Regional opener.
UCF (32-21) entered an eighth-inning weather delay with a 9-3 lead, powered by Andrew Williamson’s three home runs, before play was suspended just before midnight Friday. The game resumed at 12:02 p.m. Saturday. The Wolfpack (32-23) had a runner on second with two outs, but the score never changed, solidifying at 9-3.
The Knights now face Milwaukee at 8 p.m. in the winner’s bracket for a spot in the regional final. N.C. State will take on host Auburn, the No. 4 national seed, at 3 p.m.
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The Daytona Beach News-Journal provided live updates throughout the game. Scroll down for a play-by-play recap.
UCF vs NC State score updates
UCF finishes off 9-3 victory over NC State
Sixteen hours and 15 minutes after the game’s start, UCF closed out a 9-3 victory over NC State in the Auburn Regional. The Knights (32-21) will face Milwaukee at 8 p.m. in the winner’s bracket, while NC State takes on the host Tigers at 3 p.m. in an elimination game.
UCF-NC State quickly play through 8th inning
Ty Head struck out looking with a runner on second as play resumed between UCF and NC State on Saturday afternoon.
UCF did not score in its half of the eighth inning despite a leadoff double from Landon Moran. The Knights lead 9-3.
UCF-NC State suspended until Saturday afternoon
UCF and NC State will finish their Auburn Regional opener on Saturday.
The game has been suspended until 12:02 p.m. due to ongoing thunderstorms at Auburn’s Plainsman Park. UCF leads 9-3 with two outs and an NC State runner on second base in the top of the eighth inning.
Andrew Williamson has hit three home runs and driven in six runs for the Knights.
Weather delay with 2 outs in 8th inning
UCF and NC State are suspended due to lightning in the area with two outs in the eighth inning.
The Knights lead 9-3 behind Andrew Williamson’s three home runs, the eighth such occurrence in a single game in program history.
Andrew Williamson hits 3rd HR; UCF leads 9-3
Andrew Williamson became the first UCF player with three home runs in a single game since 2024 with a solo shot off NC State reliever Sam Harris. The Knights lead 9-3 with seven innings in the books.
Williamson has knocked in six of the Knights’ nine runs.
It’s the eighth time in program history in which a UCF player went deep three times in the same game, most recently Danny Neri against Cincinnati two years ago in the Big 12 tournament.
UCF maintains 8-3 lead over NC State
NC State has left a dozen men on base, including another pair in the seventh, as it trails UCF 8-3.
Max Murray entered and worked around a two-out single to force Drew Lanphere into an inning-ending groundout.
Murray and Kaniel Rosado have kept the Wolfpack scoreless out of the bullpen in support of Camden Wicker.
UCF works 1-2-3 6th inning with slick defense
First baseman Landon Moran and reliever Kaniel Rosado each showcased impressive displays of infield defense in a 1-2-3 sixth inning for UCF. The Knights still hold an 8-3 lead against NC State.
Moran fielded a ball deep in the hole on the right side and hit Rosado in stride for a putout. One batter later, Rosado turned and fired a strike to Moran to get Ty Head by a step on a bunt attempt.
Andrew Williamson demolishes 2nd HR of night
Andrew Williamson has seen three pitches tonight, and two of them have left the yard.
Williamson tattooed a first-pitch cutter an estimated 445 feet to right center for his second home run of the night, a three-run shot, to give UCF an 8-3 lead over NC State. DeAmez Ross and John Smith III started the Knights’ half of the fifth inning with consecutive singles.
Now up to 14 homers on the year, Williamson is responsible for five RBIs.
NC State leaves bases loaded, trails UCF 5-3
Sherman Johnson flew out to center field, allowing UCF to escape a bases-loaded jam and keep its 5-3 lead over NC State.
The Wolfpack has left nine runners aboard in four innings.
UCF removes Camden Wicker in 4th inning
UCF made its first call to the bullpen of the Auburn Regional after Camden Wicker walked Ty Head with two outs in the fourth inning. Wicker gave up seven hits and walked five in 3⅔ innings, but departs with the Knights ahead 5-3.
Left-hander Kaniel Rosado will take over and face Mikey Ryan. NC State has left six runners on base to this point.
Landon Moran gives UCF insurance against NC State
Landon Moran went the other way for a two-out RBI single before being caught in a rundown between first and second to end the third inning. UCF extends its lead over NC State to 5-3, with three of its six hits against Anderson Nance going for extra bases.
UCF takes lead for 1st time over NC State
John Smith III led off the bottom of the third with a triple off the right field wall, and Zak Skinner brought him in with a single for his 40th RBI of the campaign. UCF leads NC State for the first time tonight, 4-3, with only one out in the inning.
Camden Wicker’s 1st K strands pair of NC State runners
UCF junior Camden Wicker struck out Drew Lanphere with a changeup to strand another pair of runners. It’s the first K of the night for the All-Big 12 second-team pitcher, and it keeps the score tied 3-3 between the Knights and NC State.
NC State has left six men on base in the first three innings.
UCF freshman Jordan Lodise crushes game-tying HR
UCF freshman shortstop Jordan Lodise launched a solo home run to center field, knotting the score 3-3 against NC State in the second inning.
Four of Lodise’s five home runs have occurred in the month of May. He had a pair in a road series win over Baylor, and another at home against Kansas State.
UCF keeps NC State scoreless in 2nd inning
Drew Lanphere and Luke Nixon singled against UCF ace Camden Wicker, but the Wolfpack left both men aboard in the second inning. The Knights trail 3-2 heading to the home half.
Wicker
Andrew Williamson blasts 2-run HR for UCF
Andrew Williamson teed off on Anderson Nance’s 93 mph fastball and took UCF’s team lead in home runs with a two-run shot over the right field wall. The Knights trail NC State 3-2 with one out in the first inning.
Williamson, a true junior, went deep for the 13th time this spring. He moves into a tie for ninth place all-time in program history with 31 career homers.
DeAmez Ross led off with a sharply hit single into center, but was retired on John Smith III’s grounder to third.
NC State tallies 3 runs against UCF in 1st inning
NC State struck first against Camden Wicker and the UCF Knights.
Mikey Ryan’s infield single, the Wolfpack’s third hit of the opening inning, plated the game’s opening run. Dalton Bargo brought home another pair with a two-out, opposite-field single to give the Wolfpack a quick 3-0 lead.
Wicker, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound junior, needed 34 pitches to escape the jam, leaving another pair on base. He allowed four hits and two walks before retiring Andrew Wiggins on a warning-track flyout to left field.
UCF-NC State first pitch delayed again to 8:06 p.m.
Inclement weather near Auburn’s Plainsman Park continues to push back the start of the regional’s second game between UCF and NC State.
The new start time is 8:06 p.m. — nearly two hours behind schedule.
The winner faces Milwaukee tomorrow, while the loser will face elimination against the host Tigers.
NC State starting lineup vs UCF baseball
NC State will counter with sophomore right-hander Anderson Nance in its opening game of the Auburn Regional.
Nance has appeared in 36 games over the last two seasons for the Wolfpack, but made just two starts. He has struck out 53 batters and walked 24 in 45⅔ innings, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.94 ERA.
The Wolfpack will roll with this lineup against UCF right-hander Camden Wicker:
UCF-NC State first pitch moved to 7:06 p.m.
UCF and NC State are scheduled for a 7:06 p.m. first pitch, though rain in the area surrounding Plainsman Park could eventually produce a weather delay.
According to the National Weather Services, there is a 70% chance of evening precipitation in Auburn. Showers and thunderstorms are likely before 7 p.m. and possibly a separate storm between 7 and 10.
UCF baseball starting lineup vs NC State
Camden Wicker takes the mound for the second straight game for UCF; he allowed four earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in four innings against Oklahoma State eight days ago at the Big 12 tournament. The 6-foot-7, 190-pound junior from Viera, an All-Big 12 second-team selection, is 5-3 with a 4.00 ERA for the year.
As for the Knights’ batting order:
UCF vs NC State time today
What channel is UCF vs NC State game on today?
UCF vs. N.C. State will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. Mark Neely and Gregg Olson will call the game from Plainsman Park in Auburn. Streaming options include ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
UCF vs NC State baseball history
NCAA Tournament predictions for UCF in Auburn Regional
How far will UCF go — Auburn Regional final. With its head coach, Elliott Avent, announcing plans to retire prior to the NCAA Tournament, and its somewhat controversial inclusion despite underwhelming credentials, N.C. State uses some of that us-against-the-world mentality to upset UCF in the opening game. However, the Knights will bounce back with a win over Milwaukee and then send the Wolfpack packing before falling to host Auburn. — Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal
How far will UCF go — Auburn Regional final. The Knights have shown an ability to compete on the national stage. They reached No. 12 in the polls during the middle of the season and won seven of their 10 series in the Big 12. But Auburn’s pitching staff ranks fourth in the country with a 3.45 ERA. In a Regional, where every game is crucial, those arms are scary. — Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal
Auburn Regional bracket, schedule
Double elimination from Friday-Monday (May 29-June 1) at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Alabama:
Friday’s games
Saturday’s games
Sunday’s games
Monday’s game
* If necessary
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF vs NC State final score, highlights from NCAA baseball tournament game
Reporting by Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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