ORLANDO – Sophomore right-hander Mateo Gray went a career-long long 7.2 innings and struck out a career-best nine batters en route to leading No. 21 UCF to a 7-1 Friday night victory over Big 12 foe Cincinnati on Friday evening at John Euliano Park.
In just his fourth collegiate start on the mound, Gray was dominant for the Knights as he allowed just one run on four hits while striking out nine and walking one. He faced the minimum in three of his frames and finished just an out shy of eight innings of work.
The Knights improved to 21-13 on the season with the victory and remain in a tie for second place in the Big 12 standings with an 11-5 league mark. The Bearcats dropped to 25-15 overall and 6-10 in conference play with the setback. The win snapped a four-game skid for the Black and Gold. It also moved UCF to a perfect 7-0 at home in Big 12 Conference play.
“That was an elite Friday night start. You’re talking about two different fastballs, a curveball, cutter, slider, change up, and just absolutely executing pitches all night long. That’s one of the most elite Friday night starts that I’ve seen in a long time,” head UCF coach Rich Wallace said.
KꓘKKKꓘKꓘꓘ
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) April 18, 2026
All NINE strikeouts from Mateo's career-outing 🤩 pic.twitter.com/y1nQzr6Zia
On the bump, each starting pitcher immediately found their stride, tossing a trio of scoreless innings in just over 30 minutes. Gray, who has excelled at John Euliano Park this season, looked right at home with three strikeouts and just two hits surrendered through the first three frames.
While the top-half went accordingly, Cincinnati’s Nathan Taylor retired the first nine Knights in order to continue the stalemate, adding in another ingredient for what looked to be a Friday night pitcher’s duel in Orlando.
Gray fanned two more Bearcats in the top of the fourth to tally another steady inning of work and hand duties back over to the UCF bats. Looking for a spark in the bottom half, Cayden Gaskin delivered with a leadoff single and subsequently advancing to second on a failed pickoff attempt.
Andrew Williamson, looking to put the ball in play, bounced a groundball to the right-hand side, forcing the Cincinnati second baseman into a throwing error at first which brough Gaskin to the plate to break the deadlock. A perfectly placed Zak Skinner sac bunt put Williamson and John Smith, who walked the at-bat prior, on second and third with no outs, giving the Black and Gold a perfect opportunity for some more runs.
Following a strikeout, Landon Moran fended off multiple pitches and ultimately delivered a two-run double to right field to make it 3-0. DeAmez Ross followed by reaching on an error to plate another run and make it 4-0 Knights.
Moran drives in a pair on a rocket down the line and the Knights are up THREE 💪 pic.twitter.com/jOzA9z2Dte
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) April 17, 2026
After Gray retired the Bearcats in order in the top of the fifth, the Black and Gold offense tacked on another run to extend their advantage to 5-0. Austin Jacobs singled and later came in to score on an Andrew Williamson sacrifice fly to deep right-center.
Gray then pitched around a leadoff double in the top of the sixth, and UCF added two more runs to put the game away. Skinner and Javier Crespo each singled and Moran bunted them into scoring position. Ross was then issued an intentional pass to load the bases, and UC starter Taylor had a couple of pitches get away from him, as Skinner and Crespo both scored on wild pitches to put the Black and Gold up by seven runs.
Gray again stranded a runner in the seventh and got two outs in the eighth before surrendering his lone run of the game via a two-out RBI hit from Quinton Coats to make it 7-1.
The Knights then went to the bullpen for the first time in the contest and Anthony Lariz finished things out by retiring all four batters he faced with two coming via the strikeout to seal the victory.
Gray moved to a perfect 4-0 on the season following his career night, while Preseason All-Big 12 honoree Nathan Taylor was tagged with the loss to drop to 4-2. In all, Gray and Lariz combined to limit Cincinnati to just four hits in the game. Gray’s 7.2 innings and his nine strikeouts were both individual-game season-highs for UCF on the season.
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) April 18, 2026
Offensively, seven different Knights recorded hits and seven different Knights scored runs. The senior first baseman Moran led the way by going 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Williamson was next by going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
On Deck
The Knights will go for the series victory in game two on Saturday at 6 p.m. UCF and UC will then close the series on Sunday at noon. Following this weekend’s action, the Black and Gold will head to Daytona Beach to face Bethune-Cookman in midweek action on Tuesday, April 21.