Junior Josh Valle and sophomore Victor Gomez drove in two runs each to highlight a four-run top of the ninth inning that evened the score at 7-7 and sent the game to extras, but UCF won on a bases-loaded walk-off error in the 11th inning to squeak by with a heart-stopping 8-7 victory in Sunday’s Conference USA baseball game at Jay Bergman Field.

With the loss, Marshall falls to 19-27 overall, 8-13 in league action, while UCF improves to 17-29 on the season, 6-12 in C-USA.

Trailing 7-3 in the top of the ninth, freshman right fielder Eric Semeniuk, senior second baseman Brandon Casamassima and sophomore shortstop Kenny Socorro laced produced consecutive one-out singles to load the bases for Valle who ripped a two-run base hit into center field, brining the score to 7-5. UCF reliever Jordan Rasinski replaced UCF righty Brennan Dobbins and gave up a two-run double into left field off the bat of Gomez, tying the game at 7-7 with just one away. A groundout gave the Knights two outs in the stanza before red-shirt freshman left fielder Rhett Stafford legged out an infield single, giving the Herd runners on the corners but a groundout kept the go ahead run from scoring.

In the home half of the ninth, junior reliever Austin Coan and tossed a pair of strikeouts to highlight a 1-2-3 inning and send the contest to extras.

With two outs in the top of the 10th, Casamassima doubled off the wall in centerfield for his fourth hit of the game. An intentional walk to Socorro brought up Coan who flied out to shallow centerfield to end the frame.

In the last of the 10th, Shane Brown was hit by a pitch, and then moved to second on a single to right field by Beau Taylor, putting the winning run in scoring position. However, a double play kept the score locked at 7-7 heading to the 11th frame.

Rasinski fanned a pair of batters and used a foul pop out to retire Marshall in order in the 11th before Chris Duffy pulled a triple down the right field line, and DJ Hicks and Josh Siebenaler earned intentional walks to load the bases. Coan then fired a strikeout and forced a pop out to first to secure two outs before UCF plated the winning run when Brown reached on a fielding error.

Rasinski earned the victory and moves to 2-0 on the season while Coan suffered the loss and is now 3-5.

Marshall went to work early, plating two runs in the top of the first frame when Casamassima earned a leadoff walk, moved to second on a single through the right side by Socorro, and then raced to third on a wild pitch, giving the Herd runners on the corners. A single into right field by junior third baseman Josh Valle drove in the first run, sending Socorro to third. A foul out by Gomez gave UCF its first out of the inning, but Socorro scampered home on a heads-up play, giving Gomez a sacrifice fly and an RBI on the play, making the score 2-0. From there, Sweat dealt a strikeout and Valle was thrown out at second attempting to steal.

In the bottom of the first, Colin Arnold was hit by a pitch and the moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, giving the Knights a runner in scoring position before Brown lined out to Socorro at shortstop who tossed back to Casamassima covering second, doubling-up Arnold and ending the side with a nicely turned double play.

The Her d placed a runner on third in the top of the second when Stafford beat out an infield single, moved to second on a balk, and then moved up 90 feet on a groundout. However, he could go not come full circle as a pop out to second and a strikeout ended the stanza.

UCF crossed the dish in the bottom of the second when Brandon Romans blasted a solo shot to left centerfield to start the inning, making the score 2-1. However, Herd left-handed starter Mike Mason settled in and retired the next three batters in order.

Marshall got the run back in the top of the third when Casamassima knocked a base hit up the middle, moved to second on a passed ball and then raced to third on a fly out. A groundout by Valle brought Casamassima home with the Herd’s third run of the contest. Gomez then pounded out an infield single but a fly out to center ended the frame.

Mason scattered just two hits heading into the bottom of the seventh frame before Brown smacked a double to right center to lead off the inning. Romans followed that with a walk before a single to left by Taylor loaded the bases, chasing Mason from the game in favor of Arik Sikula. A hit batter brought in UCF’s second run of the contest. Southpaw reliever Ryan Kiel then entered and gave up a two-run single to Duffy, giving the Knights runners on the corners and a 4-3 lead. A wild pitch sent Duffy to second before a walk to Hicks loaded the bases for the second time in the frame. A sacrifice fly and a wild pitch plated two more runs, extending the lead to 6-3 and chasing Kiel from the contest for Tyler Gatrell. The junior forced a foul out to end the five-run inning for UCF.

In the top of the eighth, Gomez and senior centerfielder Nate Lape placed back-to-back one-out base hits through the left side before Kiko Vazquez laid out and made a diving catch in foul territory to record the second out of the frame. From there, Dobbins, who entered to start the frame, was able to end the stanza with a strikeout.

UCF added to its lead in the bottom of the eighth when Vazquez connect for a two-out solo homer to left field, upping the Knights advantage to 7-3. From there, a walk to Duffy sent Gatrell from the contest for lefty Andrew Blain who forced a fly out to end the inning.

Casamassima and Gomez each finished with four hits while Valle drove in a team-high four runs. Gomez added three RBIs and Casamassima scored three times in the losing effort.

Marshall returns to action Saturday, May 9-10 when it travels to Radford for a pair of non-conference games. Next weekend marks the Herd’s league bye week. Saturday’s contest is set for 7:00 p.m. ET with first-pitch in Sunday’s series finale slated for 2:00 p.m.