ORLANDO, Fla. (Interstat) — The UCF Knights opened their 2026 baseball season with a dominant 16-0 victory over the Siena Saints on Friday night at Jay Bergman Field, capitalizing on a cascade of Saints mistakes to turn a close game into a rout.

The Knights were projected as overwhelming favorites by Interstat’s ELO system, with a 90.8% win probability, and lived up to that billing by scoring 14 unanswered runs over the middle innings. UCF improved to 1-0, while Siena begins its season 0-1.

For four innings, Siena starter Lawson McIntosh and UCF’s Braden Smith engaged in a pitchers’ duel skewed by defensive lapses. The Knights broke through in the bottom of the second without a hit, as Braden Calise and JD Rogers walked, and Austin Jacobs loaded the bases with another walk. Matt Ross then reached on a fielding error by Siena second baseman Ramirez, allowing two unearned runs to score.

UCF added another unearned run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Landon Moran after an error by center fielder Thorburn. The game’s decisive turning point, however, came in the explosive bottom of the fourth inning. With the score 4-0, the Knights loaded the bases via a walk, an error and a bunt single. Andrew Lodise drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. After another walk re-loaded the bases, Moran launched a grand slam home run to right field, blowing the game open at 8-0. All five runs in the inning were unearned, a product of Siena’s three errors in the frame.

The Saints’ defensive and pitching woes compounded in the fifth inning. UCF scored five more runs, only one of which was earned. A balk by reliever Pincince brought home Austin Jacobs. Two more runs scored on a passed ball, and another balk allowed Zak Skinner to cross the plate after he tripled. Skinner finished 1-for-1 with a triple, three walks, a sacrifice fly and three runs scored. An error by shortstop Vandever allowed Moran, who had been hit by a pitch, to score the inning’s final run. Moran ended his night with five RBIs.

UCF capped its scoring in the sixth. Matt Ross hit a solo home run to right center, and Andrew Williamson followed with an RBI triple before scoring on Skinner’s sacrifice fly. Ross went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBIs.

The Knights’ nine hits were amplified by 14 walks, three hit batters and four Siena errors. UCF also executed three sacrifice flies. Siena managed just five singles and never advanced a runner past second base. Knights starter Braden Smith earned the win with five shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out four.

The two teams continue their three-game series at Jay Bergman Field on Saturday.