NCAA Bracket
 
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – On the first day of the 2014 NCAA Baseball tournament, American Athletic Conference schools went 2-0 in Regional play. Houston and Louisville each came away with victories to advance to the winner’s game in their respective regionals.
 
It took extra innings, but Houston walked off with a victory in the 10^th inning, prevailing 3-2 over Bryant. After the Bulldogs scored a run in the top half of the first inning, Houston pitching responded with over seven scoreless frames. The Cougars got a run back in the third inning when Kyle Survance scored on a passed ball, and took a 2-1 lead in the sixth and Justin Montemayor scored as Frankie Ratcliff grounded into a double play. American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year Andrew Lantrip lasted just 2.0 innings, but reliever Jared Robinson was outstanding, throwing 6.2 innings of two-hit relief. Closer Chase Wellbrock came on for the save in the ninth, but was unable to get the final out and the game went to extra innings tied at 2-2.  In the bottom of the tenth inning, Ashford Fullmer reached on a leadoff walked, and scored the winning run on a Montemayor sacrifice fly. The Cougars will face host LSU at 8 p.m. (EST) Saturday in the winner’s game.
 
Louisville scored all the runs they needed early in a 5-0 victory over Kent State. After the initial game of the day at the Louisville Regional was repeatedly delayed by weather, Louisville started its game two and a half hours after scheduled first pitch. Once the game got underway, the Cardinals jumped all over Kent State. Louisville plated two runs in the first inning on a fielding error. In the following innings, a Zach Lucas double and Corey Ray two-RBI single pushed the Cardinal lead to 5-0 after just three innings. Starting pitcher Kyle Funkhouser was exceptional and shut down the Golden Flashes (8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 10 K), recording his nation-best 13^th victory of the season. Louisville moved to the winner’s game and a 5 p.m. (EST) meeting Saturday with No. 3 seed Kansas.