UCF Blasts Four Homers but Falls 11-9 to Cincinnati

Knights' offensive outburst not enough as Bearcats rally late to take series finale

Apr. 19, 2026 at 10:03pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a baseball game in motion, with the ball, bats, and players rendered as angular, overlapping shapes in a vibrant color palette.An abstract, cubist interpretation of the high-scoring baseball clash between UCF and Cincinnati, capturing the explosive energy and momentum shifts of the game.Daytona Beach Today

Despite blasting four home runs and scoring nine runs, the UCF baseball team could not hold on as Cincinnati rallied late to defeat the Knights 11-9 in the series finale. UCF starter Camden Wicker was dominant early, but the Bearcats scored five runs in the fifth inning to take the lead. The Knights responded with a six-run fifth to go up 9-5, but Cincinnati reliever Adam Buczkowski shut down the UCF offense the rest of the way, and Jack Natili hit three home runs to lead the Bearcats' comeback.

Why it matters

This was a tough loss for UCF, which has now dropped five of its last six Big 12 games. The Knights had a chance to win the series against a strong Cincinnati team but were unable to close it out. This defeat highlights the team's struggles to consistently perform at a high level and maintain leads late in games.

The details

UCF starter Camden Wicker was brilliant through the first four innings, striking out nine batters. But the Bearcats erupted for five runs in the fifth, capped by a two-run homer from Quinton Coats. The Knights responded immediately, scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a grand slam from John Smith III and solo shots from Landon Moran and JD Rogers. However, Cincinnati reliever Adam Buczkowski shut down the UCF offense the rest of the way, striking out eight batters over the final 3.2 innings. Bearcats slugger Jack Natili hit three home runs, including the go-ahead two-run shot in the seventh inning, to lead the comeback.

  • UCF starter Camden Wicker struck out nine batters through the first four innings.
  • Cincinnati scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead.
  • UCF responded with a six-run bottom of the fifth to take a 9-5 lead.
  • Cincinnati reliever Adam Buczkowski shut down the Knights' offense over the final 3.2 innings.
  • Jack Natili hit the go-ahead two-run homer for Cincinnati in the seventh inning.

The players

Camden Wicker

UCF starting pitcher who was dominant early, striking out nine batters through the first four innings.

Quinton Coats

Cincinnati slugger who hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to cap the Bearcats' five-run rally.

John Smith III

UCF outfielder who hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to give the Knights a 9-5 lead.

Adam Buczkowski

Cincinnati relief pitcher who shut down the UCF offense over the final 3.2 innings, striking out eight batters.

Jack Natili

Cincinnati outfielder who hit three home runs, including the go-ahead two-run shot in the seventh inning, to lead the Bearcats' comeback.

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What they’re saying

“That's a tough thing. Cam's rolling as good as he could. We get to that, they get a five spot, and then we come back in. I think most of that was almost with two outs. So, that was a great response.”

— Rich Wallace, UCF Head Coach

“We need somebody to jumpstart that offense, and he's looked good in practice. He's a mature kid that's never stopped working, even when he's not in the lineup. The last three balls he's put in play went out of the yard, so hopefully that continues.”

— Rich Wallace, UCF Head Coach

“Swinging the bat. I've got nothing to lose, right? So I'm in there, and I've got one reason. I'm going to get the pitch, and I'm going to hit it. That was the mindset last night in my first at-bat, and really the last three were kind of the mindset. I've got nothing to lose. I'm going to leave it on the table.”

— JD Rogers, UCF Designated Hitter

What’s next

UCF will look to bounce back quickly as they travel to face Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday before heading to Utah for a Big 12 series next weekend. The Knights will also need to monitor the status of infielder Austin Jacobs, who re-aggravated a fractured finger during the game.

The takeaway

This was a tough loss for UCF, as the Knights were unable to hold onto a late lead against a strong Cincinnati team. The offensive outburst, led by JD Rogers, was a positive sign, but the Knights' inability to close out the game and make routine plays defensively proved costly. UCF will need to learn from this defeat and find a way to play more consistently if they want to get back on track in Big 12 play.