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ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Samford University baseball team rallied to score three runs on five hits in the top of the ninth inning Sunday to knock off the No. 22-ranked UCF Knights, 5-4, in a thrilling early-season showdown held at John Euliano Park on the campus of the University of Central Florida.
 
Leading 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Samford (1-2) reliever Wyatt Burns (1-1) was facing UCF's Matthew Mika with two outs and a runner on second base.
 
Mika connected on a 1-0 pitch and sent a single down the left-field line to seemingly score the speedy Maximillion Wood from second base, but the Bulldogs' Sam McWhorter hustled quickly to get the roller and fired a rope to catcher Anthony Mulrine behind the plate to tag Wood out and secure Samford's one-run victory.
 
McWhorter was inserted into the lineup in the top half of the inning as a pinch runner during the Bulldogs' three-run, game-winning rally.
 
Senior first baseman Austin Edens started things off in the ninth with a single to right field as the Bulldogs trailed UCF (1-2), 4-2. Edens went 3-for-4 on the day, including three straight singles. After a Max Pinto strikeout, Edens advanced to second base as true freshman Brooks Carlson singled to right field.
 
Samford's Ayrton Schafer then singled down the left field line to score McWhorter from second base to trim the Knight's lead to 4-3 with one out.
 
The Bulldogs' next hitter, Taylor Garris, flied out to right field before Ryan Crockett stepped into the batter's box with two outs and runners on first and second. Crockett, who pinch hit for Sam Teague, was facing the Knights' relief pitcher Bryce Tucker, and subsequently ripped a 1-0 pitch for a single to right field.
 
On the base hit, pinch runner Blaine Smith scored from second base and then Schafer was also able to score all the way from first base as right fielder Brody Wofford committed an error. Crockett's key hit, as well as Smith and Schaffer's heads-up base-running gave Samford its decisive 5-4 victory.
 
Burns pitched the final two innings for the Bulldogs. He faced seven batters and only allowed a single hit in the appearance.
 
Samford true freshman Samuel Strickland made his first collegiate start Sunday and looked strong through the first three innings. He then ran into trouble in the fourth inning as UCF rallied for three runs in the frame.
 
The Bulldogs used a total of seven pitchers in the contest as Jack Rude, Billy Creger, Josh Rich, Erin Baldwin and Connor Burns all received time on the hill.
 
Junior centerfielder Troy Dixon went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored Sunday. Samford's Teague also registered a key base hit and later scored the Bulldogs' first run of the day.
 
Samford's victory proved to be its first win over a top-25 ranked opponent since June 6, 2012, when the Bulldogs defeated No. 17 Mississippi State, 3-2, for the second time in two days and knocked it out of the Florida State Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Samford University baseball team will next be in action Tuesday at 4 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs play at home in Joe Lee Griffin Field for the first time this season against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.
 
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