PROVIDENCE, R.I. – East Carolina emerged as the winner of the Charlottesville Regional Sunday as the Pirates advanced to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship with an 8-4 win against William & Mary Sunday.
Tulane, meanwhile, reached the final of the Oxford Regional with a Sunday-afternoon win against Utah, but the Green Wave fell to Boston College in the nightcap. UConn looked to advance to the final of the Gainesville Regional, but the Huskies were tripped by Georgia Tech in Sunday afternoon's elimination game
Sunday's results gave American Athletic Conference teams a combined 6-4 record through the NCAA Regional round.
East Carolina 8, William & Mary 4
East Carolina advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time since 2009 as the Pirates were 8-4 winners against William & Mary in the Charlottesville Regional final Sunday. The Pirates finished as the only unbeaten team in the regional (3-0) as East Carolina defeated each of the other three teams in the bracket, including the 2015 NCAA champion (Virginia) and the team with the most wins in the nation entering the 2016 tournament (Bryant). Third baseman Eric Tyler went 4-for-4 and joined second baseman Charlie Yorgen and catcher Travis Watkins, who each hit a two-run home run for the Pirates. Watkins, who hit a walk-off home run in Saturday's come-from-behind win against Virginia, was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player of the regional after his two-run shot Sunday stood up as the game-winner. Watkins joined Yorgen, Tyler, outfielder Garrett Brooks and pitcher Evan Kruczynski on the all-regional team for East Carolina, which will face either Texas Tech or Dallas Baptist in the Super Regional.
Tulane 4, Utah 1
Tulane won its second straight elimination game as the Green Wave advanced to the Oxford Regional final with a 4-1 win against Utah in a matchup of the regular-season champions from The American and the Pac-12. Jeremy Montalbano and Hunter Hope hit home runs in the third inning to stake the Green Wave to a 3-0 lead, which proved to be plenty for pitcher Ross Massey. Massey allowed five hits and one run with four strikeouts in 8.0 innings to pick up his ninth win of the season.
Boston College 6, Tulane 3
Tulane fell behind to Boston College 3-0 after the top of the second, and the Eagles forced the Green Wave to play from behind the rest of the way in a 6-3 decision in the Oxford Regional final. Boston College advanced to the Siuper Regional round for the first time as the Eagles added single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Tulane was able to bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the bottom of the eighth, but an inning-ending double play allowed the Eagles to escape the jam. Hunter Williams went 2-for-3 with a home run for the Green Wave, which ended its outstanding season at 41-21.
Georgia Tech 7, UConn 5
UConn saw its season end at the hands of Georgia Tech, which was a 7-5 winner in the Gainesville Regional Sunday. The Yellow Jackets held a 5-0 lead after the top of the fourth inning, but UConn chipped away and eventually tied the game at 5-5 on John Toppa's RBI double. Georgia Tech got the winning run in the top of the ninth on a leadoff double and a throwing error and added an insurance run on a two-out single. Shortstop Bryan Daniello went 2-for-4 for the Huskies, who finished the year with a 38-25 record.
2016 NCAA Baseball Championship
Gainesville Regional · Gainesville, Fla.
Friday, June 3
No. 3 UConn 7, No. 2 Georgia Tech 6
No. 1 Florida 9, No. 4 Bethune-Cookman 3
Saturday, June 4
Georgia Tech 12, Bethune-Cookman 3 (Bethune-Cookman eliminated)
Florida 6, UConn 5
Sunday, June 5
Georgia Tech 7, UConn 5 (UConn eliminated)
Florida 10, Georgia Tech 0 (Georgia Tech eliminated)
Oxford Regional · Oxford, Miss.
Friday, June 3
No. 3 Boston College 7, No. 2 Tulane 2
No. 4 Utah 6, No. 1 Mississippi 5
Saturday, June 4
Tulane 6, Mississippi 5 (Mississippi eliminated)
Boston College 4, Utah 3
Sunday, June 5
Tulane 4, Utah 1 (Utah eliminated)
Boston College 6, Tulane 3 (Tulane eliminated)
Charlottesville Regional · Charlottesville, Va.
Friday, June 3
No. 1 Virginia 17, No. 4 William & Mary 4
No. 3 East Carolina 9, No. 2 Bryant 1
Saturday, June 4
William & Mary 4, Bryant 3 (Bryant eliminated)
East Carolina 8, Virginia 6
Sunday, June 5
William & Mary 5, Virginia 4 (Virginia eliminated)
East Carolina 8, William & Mary 4 (William & Mary eliminated)