WACO, Texas – UCF pulled within a run in the eighth inning and loaded the bases in the ninth, but Baylor managed to hold on to salvage a game on the weekend by taking Sunday’s series finale by a score of 8-7.
The Knights dropped to 29-19 overall and 17-10 in Big 12 play to sit in a tie for third place in the conference standings heading into next week’s final series. BU improved to 26-25 overall and 12-15 in league play with the victory. The contest marked UCF’s final regular-season road game of the year.
With both starting pitchers putting zeros on the scoreboard early in the game, UCF struck first with four runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-0 lead. Jordan Lodise started the inning by reaching on an error and Braden Calise followed by working a one-out walk. The senior DeAmez Ross continued his stellar weekend at the plate by blasting out a three-run home run to deep right field to make it 3-0. The home run traveled 421 feet and marked Ross’ third of the season. Not to be outdone, fellow senior outfielder John Smith III immediately followed by pulling a solo shot to left field for his team-leading 12th home run. The back-to-back home runs marked the fifth time the Knights have achieved the feat in the past 13 games.
DeAmez continues his hot week at the plate with a 3-run bomb 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GUfxx67f6M
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) May 10, 2026
John Smith III goes back-to-back for his team-leading 12th home run 👋 pic.twitter.com/5rbcK3oz7C
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) May 10, 2026
The Bears immediately responded with back-to-back home runs of their own in the bottom of the third to pull within a run at 4-3. The reigning Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Week Tyce Armstrong struck first with a two-run home run to become BU’s single-season program record holder with his 22nd round tripper of the season. Brady Janusek then hit out a solo homer off the scoreboard in left-center. Baylor looked for more in the inning by loading the bases, but freshman southpaw Kaniel Rosado entered and recorded an inning-ending strikeout to strand a trio of runners.
The BU offense hit out another home run in the fourth—a two-run shot from Travis Sanders—to take a 5-4 advantage.
UCF quickly bounced back following a trio of consecutive singles in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 5-5. Calise and Ross singled to put runners on the corners and Smith III drove in his second run of the game with an RBI single to left field.
The Bears again countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-5 lead. The first run of the frame came in on a passed ball and the second came home on a safety squeeze.
The Black and Gold cut the deficit in half in the seventh thanks to a solo home run to left field off the bat of the freshman Lodise. The round tripper marked Lodise’s second of the series and traveled 408 feet.
Lodise pulls a solo shot out to left for his second HR of the series! pic.twitter.com/XP9p9lZJFg
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) May 10, 2026
BU’s Brayden Buchanan hit out a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-6. The Bears looked for more in the inning by loading the bases, but Javier Crespo started an inning-ending 5-2-3 double play to limit the damage.
The Knights got a run back in the top of the eighth to again pull within a run at 8-7. Smith III led off the inning with a double down the left field line and Andrew Williamson promptly drove him in with a sharp RBI single to center field. UCF later got two runners in scoring position with two away, but BU’s Caleb Bunch drew an inning-ending groundout.
After Evan Jones retired three of the four hitters he faced in the last of the eighth, Calise then worked a one-out walk to put the tying run on the basepaths for UCF in the ninth. Following a fielder’s choice for the second out, Smith III then legged out an infield single and Williamson followed by getting hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. BU’s Bunch then recorded an game-ending strikeout to seal the victory for the Bears.
In all, the two teams combined for seven home runs on the day.
Smith III led UCF offensively on the day by going 4-for-5 with a homer, a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Ross was next by going 2-for-5 with a home run, a run scored and a game-high three runs batted in. Sanders and Armstrong paced BU both each homering and driving in a pair of runs.
Rosado was tagged with the loss for the Black and Gold to drop to 0-2 on the year. He was one of five pitchers used on the day for the Knights. BU starter Ethan Calder earned the win to improve to 4-5, while Bunch recorded his team-leading seventh save.
Despite suffering the setback, UCF claimed the series by outscoring BU 27-3 over the first two games of the weekend. With the series win, the Black and Gold have now won six Big 12 series to match a program-best that the team set back in its first season in the league in 2024. The 17 conference wins also mark a program-high as members of the Big 12 Conference.
On Deck
The Knights will now return to John Euliano Park for their final Big 12 series of the season that will run Thursday to Saturday, May 14-16, at John Euliano Park. Thursday and Friday’s games are scheduled for 6 p.m., while Saturday’s regular-season finale is slated for 1 p.m. Following the weekend, UCF will head to Surprise, Arizona, to take part in the 2026 Big 12 Baseball Tournament at Surprise Stadium. The conference tournament will run May 19-23 and will feature a single-elimination format. The top six seeds will receive a double bye and not open play until Thursday, May 21.