Championship Central
Box Score
Todd Whitting Interview
Josh Vidales Interview
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Tournament Most Outstanding Player Josh Vidales went 5-for 5 with three RBIs to pace Houston to a 10-4 win against Louisville Saturday in the final game of the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at Bright House Field.
The Cougars (44-15) earn The American’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship after going 2-1 in the pool play round of the tournament and beating the Cardinals in a battle of two of the nation’s top teams. Houston is ranked No. 12 in this week’s NCBWA poll, while Louisville is No. 5.
Vidales hit safely in all five of his plate appearances Sunday, hit .733 for the tournament (11-for-15) and played error-free ball at second base in the Cougars’ four games. He led a Cougar lineup that touched seven Louisville pitchers for 16 hits Sunday.
Relief pitcher Tyler Ford earned the win, improving to 8-0 after he worked 4.1 innings of two-hit relief. Ford entered the game in the fifth inning, retired the first eight men he faced and allowed only a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Both teams manufactured runs in the first inning, but the Cougars gained a 2-1 lead in the top of the third when Kyle Survance came in on the back end of a double play. Vidales delivered RBI singles in the fourth and the fifth innings to help Houston to a 4-1 lead.
Ashford Fulmer led off the bottom of the fourth with a base hit and came home on a fielding error and two wild pitches to make it 5-1. Casey Grayson then broke the game open with a two-run double to leftfield to give Houston a 7-1 cushion.
Louisville got one back in the bottom of the fifth when Kyle Gibson reached on a bunt single and came around to score on Nick Solak’s base hit. Ford came on to end the inning, however, as he got cleanup hitter Jeff Gardner swinging.
Vidales’ third RBI of the day gave Louisville an 8-2 lead, and Grayson’s two-out single made it 10-2. Louisville pinch hitter Shane Crain put the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth over the leftfield fence and Sutton Whiting hit a solo shot to make it 10-4.
Landon Appling went 3 for 5, while Survance and Justin Montemayor were both 2-for-4 for Houston. Louisville, which had 11 hits, was led offensively by Solak, who went 3-for-3.
Louisville starting pitcher Drew Harrington (3-2) struck out a career-high six batters through the first three innings, but came out of the game after he allowed six hits and three runs.
2014 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
bright house field • clearwater, fla.
Pool A Record
No. 1 Louisville 2-1
No. 8 Memphis 2-1
No. 4 Rutgers 1-2
No. 5 USF 1-2
Louisville advances to championship game
Pool B Record
No. 3 Houston 2-1
No. 2 UCF 2-1
No. 6 Temple 1-2
No. 7 UConn 1-2
Houston advances to championship game
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
Memphis 5, Rutgers 1
USF 2, Louisville 1
Houston 13, UCF 8
Saturday, May 24 – Pool Play
Temple 9, UConn 4
Louisville 9, Rutgers 3
Memphis 2, USF 1
Sunday, May 25 – Final
Houston 10, Louisville 4
All-Tournament Team
P Andrew Lantrip Houston
P Jimmy Herget USF
C Kyle Gibson Louisville
C Keaton Aldridge Memphis
IF James Vasquez UCF
IF Casey Grayson Houston
IF Josh Vidales Houston
IF Kyle Teaf USF
OF Jeff Gardner Louisville
OF Kyle Survance Houston
OF Vinny Zarrillo Rutgers
DH Nick Solak Louisville
Most Outstanding Player
Josh Vidales, 2B, Houston