The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
3-2
Cincinnati
3-2
UAB Outlasts Cincinnati, 12-11, in Walk-Off Fashion
2/19/2026 8:07:00 PM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM – In a back-and-forth affair, UAB Baseball (3-2) prevailed over Cincinnati (3-2) by a score of 12-11 on Thursday afternoon. Max Price blasted a pinch-hit walk-off 3-run home run to win the game for UAB.
UAB improved to 3-0 when scoring first and the Blazers' scoring started in the bottom of the second inning when Austin Pierzynski executed a perfect squeeze bunt to bring home Brady Waugh to put the Blazers up. 1-0.
The Green and Gold added to their lead in the bottom of the third when John Paul Head ripped his first home run of the season, and the second of his career, over the left center field wall to put UAB up, 2-0.
Cincinnati got on the board with two of its own in the top of the fourth. The Bearcats rallied for three straight hits in the inning after the first two batters were retired. Ryan Tyranski delivered with a 2-RBI single up the middle to tie the game at two.
UAB answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. True freshman Baylor Roberts executed a squeeze bunt of his own to bring home two runs to put the Blazers back in front. The hit was Roberts' first in his career.
The back-and-forth battle began when Cincinnati jumped back in front with three runs in the top half of the fifth. The first four hitters of the inning reached, which included an RBI double by Jack Natili to cut into the UAB lead. After a single and a fielder's choice, Cincinnati was in the lead again, 5-4.
In the bottom half of the fifth, the Blazers answered yet again. After the first two hitters were sat down, Andrew Hunt walked and Brady Waugh cranked his first home run as a Blazer as UAB retook the lead, 6-5.
Both sides were held scoreless in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh inning, Cincinnati added another run on a fielder's choice as Enzo Infelise crossed the plate to add to the Bearcat advantage.
UC plated three more in the top of the eighth inning. Quinton Coats hit a 3-run home run to put Cincinnati up, 9-6.
The Blazers kept battling going into the bottom of the eighth. Baylor Roberts ripped his first career home run that sailed over the left center field wall for a 2-run blast to cut the Bearcat lead to 9-8.
UC plated their final two runs of the night on a sac fly to center by Charlie Niehaus and a run scored on a wild pitch by Jackson Smith and Cincinnati led 11-8 going into the bottom of the ninth.
Landon Beaver walked to start the inning and Andrew Hunt followed that up with a double to left field. Brady Waugh nearly tied the game on a fly ball to right field but the ball was caught at the warning track. Beaver trotted home to cut into the deficit. After a Wesley Helms walk, Cincinnati went to the bullpen.
Head Coach Casey Dunn called on Max Price for a pinch hit appearance. With a 1-1 count, Price blasted a ball to the opposite field just narrowly clearing the right field wall which sent the fans at Young Memorial Field into jubilation.
NOTES
- The win marks the Blazers' second over a Power 4 school in seven days.
- UAB scored 10+ runs in back-to-back games for the first time since April 27 and 29 (Alabama State and Rice).
- Max Price's last two hits have been home runs.
- Price's walk-off home run is the Blazers' first since Gavin Lewis Jr. walked off the Memphis Tigers on May 11, 2024.
- The four home runs UAB hit are the most in a game since the Green and Gold hit six against East Carolina on April 19, 2025.
- Wesley Helms picked up his second straight multi-hit game. He now has 15 such games in his UAB career.
- Brady Waugh led the way with three hits including his first UAB home run. The three runs he scored tied his career-high. He also has seven RBI in the last two games.
- In all three wins this season, UAB has drawn at least seven walks.
- Baylor Roberts recorded his first two career hits and also tallied a career-high four RBI.
- LHP Isaac Warrick tied the game with his first career run scored.
The Blazers and Bearcats square off for game two of the series on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Haines, Tyler (1-0)
L: Carson Marsh (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Jack Natili 1 ; Enzo Infelise 1 ; Derrick Pitts 1 ; Conlan Daniel 1
HR: Quinton Coats 1
RBI: Charlie Niehaus 1 ; Jack Natili 1 ; Quinton Coats 3 ; Enzo Infelise 1 ; Derrick Pitts 1 ; Ryan Tyranski 3
SH: Conlan Daniel 1
SF: Charlie Niehaus 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson Smith 1 ; Charlie Niehaus 2 ; Jack Natili 2 ; Quinton Coats 1 ; Enzo Infelise 2 ; Derrick Pitts 2 ; Joe DuSell 1
SB: Jackson Smith 2 ; Charlie Niehaus 2 ; Conlan Daniel 1
HBP: Jackson Smith 2 ; Jack Natili 1 ; Joe DuSell 1 ; Conlan Daniel 1
Batting:
2B: Hunt, Andrew 1 ; Helms, Wesley 1
HR: Head, John Paul 1 ; Waugh, Brady 1 ; Price, Max 1 ; Roberts, Baylor 1
RBI: Head, John Paul 1 ; Waugh, Brady 3 ; Pierzynski, Austin 1 ; Price, Max 3 ; Roberts, Baylor 4
SH: Pierzynski, Austin 1
SF: Waugh, Brady 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Head, John Paul 1 ; Beaver, Landon 1 ; Hunt, Andrew 2 ; Waugh, Brady 3 ; Helms, Wesley 1 ; Warrick, Isaac 1 ; Pierzynski, Austin 1 ; Price, Max 1 ; Roberts, Baylor 1
SB: Hall Jr., Kevin 1 ; Roberts, Baylor 1
HBP: Helms, Wesley 1 ; Pierzynski, Austin 1
