Champ Central
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Robby Howell took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and Kyle Marsh went 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in to lead top-seeded UCF past No. 5-seeded Tulane Thursday morning in an elimination game of the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at Spectrum Field.
The Knights (39-19), who dropped their tournament opener to East Carolina Tuesday, stayed alive in the tournament and will either face USF or have a rematch with East Carolina in an elimination game Friday at 3 p.m. ET. Tulane (27-31) was eliminated from the tournament with its second loss.
UCF put four runs on the board in the top of the third and added four more in the top of the sixth to build an 8-0 lead. Marsh’s home run followed Eli Putnam’s two-run shot in the fourth to give the Knights a 4-0 lead, and UCF broke it open in the sixth when two runs scored after the Green Wave couldn’t handle Ryan Crile’s chopper to first and Marsh followed with a two-run single to center.
Howell, who was named American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year Monday, didn’t allow a hit through the first five innings as the Green Wave managed two walks and a hit batter in the early going.
Tulane finally got to Howell in the bottom of the sixth as Hunter Williams led off with his 11th home run of the season, Grant Brown drew a walk, and Grant Witherspoon followed with a double to the gap in right-center to bring Brown home, making it 8-2.
The Green Wave threatened again in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out, but Howell got out of it on an inning-ending double play to maintain the six-run lead.
Howell worked eight innings and struck out 10 against four walks to improve to 10-0 on the year. Crile and Logan Heiser were both 2-for-4 with two runs scored from the bottom of the order.
Tulane was led by Witherspoon, who went 2-for-3 with a solo home run. J.P. France took the loss for the Green Wave, falling to 5-5.
Tickets for the championship will be available at Spectrum Field each day of the tournament or may be purchased in advance by calling the box office at 727-467-4457. The latest information on the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship is available on the conference’s Championship Central page at
www.TheAmerican.org/Baseball.