CLEARWATER, Fla. – Tournament Most Outstanding Player Spencer Brickhouse went 2-for-4 with an RBI as ECU won its second American Athletic Conference tournament title with a 4-3 victory against UConn Saturday morning at Spectrum Field.
Brickhouse’s RBI single came as part of a three-run fifth inning that broke a scoreless tie and gave ECU the lead for good. His 2-for-4 day in the final capped a week in which the Pirate designated hitter went .500 (10 for 20) with four doubles and five RBIs in ECU’s five games.
The fifth inning was the difference Saturday as ECU got into the UConn bullpen after Huskies’ starter Trevor Holmes had been effective in his first career start. Holmes issued a leadoff walk in the fifth and got the first out of the inning, but turned the ball over to C.J. Dandeneau, who hit the first batter he faced to put runners at first and third.
Brickhouse put the Pirates on the board with his base hit to right that brought in Turner Brown, and Jake Washer followed with a base hit to left to bring in Dwanya Williams-Sutton. Drew Henrickson made it three straight RBI singles when his line drive to center brought Brickhouse in from second, giving ECU a 3-0 lead.
UConn answered in the top of the sixth as the first three men reached base. Troy Stefanski led off with a base hit to right-center and came home on Chris Winkel’s hit to right to put the Huskies on the board. Conor Moriarty’s fly ball to center allowed Michael Woodworth to score from third bringing UConn within one at 3-2.
ECU made it 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth on Brown’s sacrifice fly that scored Brady Lloyd, who had led off with a base hit, stole second and moved to third on a grounder to the right side. But UConn again cut into the lead in the top of the eighth when Troy Stefanski drew a leadoff walk, stole second and came home on Christian Fedko’s double down the leftfield line to make it 4-3. ECU closer Davis Kirkpatrick came in and got out of the jam, however, getting a flyout to center to bring the Pirates back to the dugout.
Kirkpatrick got the first two outs of the ninth in order, but UConn catcher Zac Susi reached on a base hit to center to put the tying run on base. But Kirkpatrick got cleanup hitter Isaac Feldstein to line out to left to end it.
Both teams’ starting pitchers fared well Saturday capping a tournament schedule that was adjusted several times in advance of looming storms in the Tampa Bay area. ECU’s Jake Agnos struck out nine batters in four scoreless innings, while Holmes scattered four singles and allowed only one run in 4.1 innings. Ryan Ross (3-4) was credited with the win for the Pirates, while Holmes (0-2) took the loss.
Brickhouse was one of four ECU players named to the all-tournament team, joining Brown, Henrickson and pitcher Jake Kuchmaner, whose complete game effort in the Pirates’ semifinal win saved the bullpen for Saturday’s final.
UConn placed Prato, Stefanski and relief pitcher Jacob Wallace on the all-tournament team as Prato went 12-for 18 (.667) in the Huskies’ five games.
The Pirates, who last won the tournament in 2015, earn The American’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The 16 host sites for the regional rounds of the championship will be announced Sunday night, while the 64 participating teams will be announced Monday.
2018 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
presented by visit st. pete/clearwater
SPECTRUM field • clearwater, fla.
UPDATED TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
| Tuesday, May 22 |
| Game 1 – No. 4 ECU 8, No. 5 UCF 4 |
| Game 2 – No. 8 Tulane 11, No. 1 Houston 6 |
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| Wednesday, May 23 |
| at Spectrum Field |
| Game 3 – No. 7 Wichita State 4, No. 2 USF 3 |
| Game 4 – No. 3 UConn 6, No. 6 Cincinnati 2 |
| Game 8 –UConn 7, Wichita State 5 |
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| at Robin Roberts Field |
| Game 5 – Houston 6, UCF 2 (UCF eliminated) |
| Game 7 – ECU 6, Tulane 5 |
| Game 6 – USF 9, Cincinnati 4 (Cincinnati eliminated) |
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| Thursday, May 24 |
| at Spectrum Field |
| Game 9 – Houston 18, Tulane 7 (7 innings) (Tulane eliminated) |
| Game 11 – Houston 5, ECU 3 |
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| at Robin Roberts Field |
| Game 10 – USF 7, Wichita State 2 (Wichita State eliminated) |
| Game 12 –USF 13, UConn 0 (7 innings) |
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| Friday, May 25 |
| at Spectrum Field |
| Game 14 – UConn 3, USF 2 (USF eliminated) |
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| at Robin Roberts Field |
| Game 13 – ECU 12, Houston 1 (7 innings) (Houston eliminated) |
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| Saturday, May 26 |
| Game 15 – ECU 4, UConn 3 |
All-Tournament Team
P Jacob Wallace, UConn
P Colin Sullivan, USF
P Jake Kuchmaner, ECU
C Tyler Dietrich, USF
IF Spencer Brickhouse, ECU
IF Turner Brown, ECU
IF Anthony Prato, UConn
IF Coco Montes, USF
OF Troy Stefanski, UConn
OF Drew Henrickson, ECU
OF Grant Witherspoon, Tulane
UTY Joe Davis, Houston
Most Outstanding Player
Spencer Brickhouse, ECU