Championship Central
Box Score
Highlights

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Memphis pitcher Jon Reed struck out six and allowed just one run in a complete-game effort and catcher Keith Aldridge went 4-for-4 with a home run to lead the No. 8-seeded Tigers to a 5-1 win against No. 4-seeded Rutgers Friday in the third day of pool play in the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at Bright House Field.
 
The win moves both teams to 1-1 in pool play, with one game remaining for each.
 
Reed, who faced the minimum number of batters from the third through eighth innings, turned in his second complete game of the season and improved to 8-3 on the season. He didn’t allow a runner past first base after the second inning.
 
Aldridge, meanwhile, tied the game with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning and hit safely in each of his next three plate appearances.
 
Rutgers built a 1-0 lead to start the game as Nick Favatella hit a one-out double and came on to score on Vinny Zarrillo’s base hit to right-center. The Scarlet Knights had runners at the corners with two outs in the second inning, but Reed escaped with a strikeout to bring Memphis back to the dugout.
 
Aldridge’s home run sparked a three-run third inning that gave the Tigers the lead for good. Darien Tubbs delivered Ethan Gross from third with a sacrifice fly and Jake Little’s base hit to center scored Zach Willis to make it 3-1.
 
Rutgers put its lead man on base five times after the second inning, but the Tigers were able to keep the Scarlet Knights off the board the rest of the way. Memphis turned a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the seventh and leftfielder Kane Barrow retired Christian Campbell at first base following a flyout to end the eighth.
 
Memphis put the game away in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with no outs and getting a pair of runs on an errant throw to the plate on a grounder to third.
 
Reed scattered seven hits and walked three to go with his six strikeouts as the Tigers evened their overall record at 29-29. Favatella went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks for Rutgers (30-24), which fell for just the second time in 13 games. Kevin Baxter took the loss, falling to 5-8 after he allowed three runs and five hits in two innings.
 
The teams conclude pool play Saturday as Rutgers faces Louisville at 3 p.m. ET and Memphis takes on USF at 7 p.m.
 
2014 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Bright House Field • Clearwater, Fla.
 
                                       Tournament
Pool A                                Record
No. 1 Louisville                                 1-0
No. 8 Memphis                                 1-1
No. 4 Rutgers                                    1-1
No. 5 USF                                          0-1

                                       Tournament
Pool B                                Record
No. 2 UCF                                          2-0
No. 7 UConn                                      1-1
No. 3 Houston                                   1-1
No. 6 Temple                                    0-2
 
Wednesday, May 21 – Pool Play
UCF 7, UConn 1
Houston 3, Temple 0
Rutgers 10, USF 0 (7 innings)
 
Thursday, May 22 – Pool Play
UConn 7, Houston 2
Louisville 13, Memphis 3 (7 innings)
UCF 6, Temple 2
 
Friday, May 23 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
Memphis 5, Rutgers 1
No. 1 Louisville (44-13) vs. No. 5 USF (26-30)                                    3 p.m.
No. 3 Houston (42-15) vs. No. 2 UCF (36-22)                                      7 p.m.
 
Saturday, May 24 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
No. 6 Temple (14-32) vs. No. 7 UConn (27-30)                                11 a.m.
No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 4 Rutgers (30-24)                                           3 p.m.
No. 5 USF vs. No. 8 Memphis (29-29)                                                  7 p.m.
 
Sunday, May 25 – Final (ESPNU)
Pool A winner vs. Pool B winner                                                             Noon
 
all times Eastern