Highlights
No 18 ECU and USF won their respective rubber games to clinch conference-opener series, while Houston and Wichita State each earned weekend sweeps. Cincinnati scored a run in the opening inning and held the lead through eight frames to earn its first American win of the season on Sunday.
Houston tallied 14 hits en route to a 9-3 win to open American Athletic Conference play with a sweep of Memphis to extend its winning streak to eight in a row. Third baseman Jared Triolo belted his second home run of the weekend and tallied a career-high four RBIs, knocking in 8 runs over the series. The Cougars scored at least one run in five innings.
Wichita State used a dominating performance from its pitching staff for a 3-1 win over Furman and a three-game series sweep. Starter Tommy Barnhouse went four innings and gave up one unearned run on two hits with no walks and a career-high eight strikeouts. The Shockers then used four arms out of the bullpen to keep the Paladins scoreless, scattering one hit through the final six frames.
Starter Cam Alldred struck out a personal best nine batters in 7.0 innings of work on the way to the Bearcats’ one-run rout over Tulane. He allowed only two free bases on a hit batter and a walk and gave up just two hits. The bullpen kept the theme of the day going behind him. A.J. Kullman pitched a scoreless eighth with no hits. Jarod Yoakam earned the save by throwing a scoreless ninth, only allowing one hit. Shortstop Manny Rodriguez had two hits for Cincinnati and accounted for the only RBI of the day in the first inning. Starter Keagan Gillies threw eight innings for Tulane, scattering two hits and a run in the first inning before tossing seven shutout frames with six strikeouts.
Outfielder Duke Stunkel Jr. delivered the with a walk-off single in the ninth to give the USF baseball team a 3-2 win and a 2-1 series win against UConn to open league play. It marks the third walk-off win of the year for the Bulls and fifth straight series clinched. Sophomore righty Collin Sullivan gave up just three hits in 6.0 innings. He allowed one run and had five strikeouts. UConn starter Chase Gardner pitched 4.2 shutout innings, allowing four hits and fanning five batters.
The trio of outfielder Andrew Henrickson, third baseman Connor Litton and outfielder Bryant Packard drove in a combined six runs, while the bullpen allowed just two over the final six frames helped ECU to an American Athletic Conference road series win at No. 20 UCF, 11-6. ECU led 11-6 in hits and are 10-0 this season when recording double-digit hits.
THIS WEEK’S RESULTS
Tuesday, March 20
UConn 7, Central Connecticut 3 (10)
No. 5 Florida State 6, No. 20 UCF 4
No. 26 Wichita State 2, Oklahoma 1
Houston 3, Lamar 1
Memphis 14, Mississippi Valley 0
Wednesday, March 21
No. 5 Florida State 13, No. 20 UCF 3
USF 12, North Florida 5
No. 15 LSU 10, Tulane 4
Houston 9, Prairie View A&M 2
Friday, March 23
NO. 20 UCF 9, No. 18 ECU 1
Tulane 5, Cincinnati 3
UConn 6, USF 4
No. 26 Wichita State 11, Furman 1
Houston 2, Memphis 0
Saturday, March 24
No. 26 Wichita State 14, Furman 3
Tulane 8, Cincinnati 7
USF 8, UConn 4
No. 18 ECU 12, No. 20 UCF 4
Houston 3, Memphis 0
Sunday, March 25
No. 26 Wichita State 3, Furman 1
Cincinnati 1, Tulane 0
USF 3, UConn 2
No. 18 ECU 11, No. 20 UCF 6
Houston 9, Memphis 3
All times ET & subject to change
* Conference games