TicketsBIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team concluded its eight-game road trip to open the 2026 season on Sunday, defeating UAB by a score of 8-6.
After dropping the first two games of the series, UC fought back and won on Saturday and Sunday to salvage a series split and bring its record to 5-3.
UAB had a chance to break the Bearcats’ hearts in the ninth inning, but sophomore Adam Buczkowski entered the game with two outs and got a strikeout to end the game.
Buczkowski’s success in a high-leverage situation was par for the course on Sunday. UC’s pitchers were at their best when they had the Blazers on the ropes; UAB was 0-for-7 on Sunday with two outs, squandering scoring opportunities in the seventh, eighth, and ninth.
Redshirt senior Joel Pineiro was terrific once again, striking out three in three scoreless innings. He faced 11 batters and, after some early hiccups, retired eight straight hitters.
At the plate, junior Jack Natili went 3-for-5 while sophomore Derrick Pitts and redshirt freshman Ryan Tyranski both had two hits. Tyranski went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three runs scored, career-high totals in the latter two categories. Redshirt junior Luke Sefcik drove in three runs and freshman Jackson Reardon drove in two.
Over the course of the series, sophomore Quinton Coats hit .353 (6-for-17) with two home runs and seven RBI, Cincinnati’s most productive offensive player. Pitts hit .471 (8-for-17) to lead UC.
UC’s home opener is set for Tuesday, Feb. 24 vs. Bowling Green at 4:00 p.m. That will kick off a 10-game homestand that will feature games vs. Austin Peay (Feb. 27-March 1), Western Kentucky (March 3), UC San Diego (March 5-8), and Evansville (March 10).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Cincinnati caused some havoc on the basepaths in the top of the first to score the first run of the game. With runners on first and second, UC executed a double steal and as Conlan Daniel slid into third, the throw from the catcher sailed into left field and Daniel scored easily.
- A UAB RBI single in the bottom of the first tied the score at 1-1.
- Jackson Reardon gave the Bearcats the lead back with an RBI fielder’s choice in the top of the second.
- UAB tied the game again in the bottom of the second on its own RBI groundout, making it 2-2. The Blazers had runners on first and second with one out, but a slick 4-3 double play instigated by Luke Sefcik got Cincinnati out of the inning with just the one run allowed.
- Two more RBI groundouts brought in runs for Cincinnati in in the top of the fourth, making it 4-2.
- An RBI double from UAB made it a 4-3 ballgame in the bottom of the fourth, but Joel Pineiro recorded a strikeout and induced a harmless pop fly to get out of the inning.
- Cincinnati’s most productive offensive inning was the fifth, when it scored three runs to take a 7-3 lead. Reardon drove in a run, then Sefcik’s two-run single to right-center field extended the lead to four.
- Christian Mitchelle drove in UC’s eighth run of the game in the top of the seventh.
- The Blazers scored a run in the bottom of the seventh and loaded the bases, but Carson Marsh entered from the bullpen with two outs and quickly got the third out to get UC out of danger.
- A leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth was followed three hitters later by an RBI single to put UAB with two, 8-6. Marsh righted the ship, however, and got the final two outs of the inning.
- The Blazers put two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth and, after the winning run came to the plate, Adam Buczkowski entered the game and ended the threat with a strikeout to seal the win.
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