Championship Central
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Tulane starting pitcher Kaleb Roper struck out nine batters in a complete game victory, and Hudson Haskin went 3-for-4 with three RBIs as the Green Wave scored a 5-2 win against UCF Tuesday night in a first-round game of the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship presented by Air Force Reserve at Spectrum Field.
Tulane (32-24), the No. 3 seed in the tournament, advances in the winners’ bracket to face No. 2-seeded Cincinnati Thursday. UCF (34-21), the No. 6 seed, will face No. 7-seeded Memphis Wednesday in an elimination game.
Roper went the distance for the Green Wave, allowing eight hits and two runs, but kept the Knights off the scoreboard after the second inning. He struck out nine and walked one, throwing 136 pitches on his way to improving to 7-3 on the year.
All of the scoring took place in the first two innings. Tulane jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Haskin’s two-run home run to left field after Kody Hoese hit a one-out single.
The Knights appeared to get one back when Tyler Osik’s high fly to deep center was initially ruled a home run, but video review indicated that the ball instead lodged in the padding of the fence for a ground-rule double. Osik came on to score nonetheless as Dalton Wingo followed with a base hit up the middle to bring Osik home easily, making it 2-1. UCF tied it at 2-2 on Chandler Robertson’s RBI double with no outs, but Roper was able to stem the tide with only the two runs allowed.
Tulane took the lead for good in the third inning as Luke Glancy drew a leadoff walk and Sal Gozzo - whose brother, Paul, had homered for UConn in the Huskies’ opening win in the tournament - drilled a two-run shot of his own to give the Green Wave a 4-2 lead. Haskin stroked a deep drive to center and was out trying for third, but not before Hoese scored to make it 5-2.
UCF’s best chance to get back in it came in the fifth inning as the Knights struck for three singles off of Roper to load the bases with two outs. But Roper got Osik on a fly out to strand three base runners.
Tulane’s No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters combined for seven of the Green Wave’s 11 hits as Haskin had three hits, Hoese went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Grant Mathews was 2-for-4.
UCF was led by Wingo, who was 2-for-4 and was the only Knight player with multiple hits. Chris Williams took the loss for the Knights, falling to 6-5.
2019 American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship
Spectrum Field · Clearwater, Fla.
Tuesday, May 21 | American Digital Network
Game 1: No. 4 UConn 4, No. 5 Houston 3
Game 2: No. 8 Wichita State 6, No. 1 ECU 2
Game 3: No. 2 Cincinnati 11, No. 7 Memphis 6
Game 4: No. 3 Tulane 5, No. 6 UCF 2
Wednesday, May 22 | American Digital Network
Game 5: ECU vs. Houston | 3 p.m. ET
Game 6: Memphis vs. UCF | 47 minutes following Game 5
Thursday, May 23 | American Digital Network
Game 7: UConn vs. Wichita State | 3 p.m. ET
Game 8: Cincinnati vs. Tulane | 47 minutes following Game 7
Friday, May 24 | American Digital Network
Game 9: Loser of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 5 | 3 p.m. ET
Game 10: Loser of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 6 | 47 minutes following Game 9
Saturday, May 25 | American Digital Network
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 | 10 a.m. ET
Game 12: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10 | 47 minutes following Game 11
Game 13: Loser of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 11 **if necessary | TBD
Game 14: Loser of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 12 **if necessary | TBD
Sunday, May 26 | Championship | ESPNews
Game 15: Semifinal Winner vs. Semifinal Winner | Noon ET