Championship Central
 
CLEARWATER, Fla. –  Jordan Spicer delivered a first-career complete game pitching performance with six strikeouts to lead UCF to a 6-2 win against Tulane Friday night in the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship presented by Air Force Reserve at Spectrum Field.
 
The win sends the Knights (36-21) to the semifinal round of the American Championship and a matchup against No. 2-seeded Cincinnati Saturday afternoon, following the day’s first semifinal between UConn and Wichita State. Tulane (32-26) was eliminated with its second loss of the tournament.


 
With the Knights needing two wins against the Bearcats to reach Sunday’s championship final, Spicer delivered a clutch performance to not only keep Tulane’s lineup at bay, but preserve UCF’s bullpen as well. Spicer allowed single runs in the fifth and eighth innings, but otherwise held a Tulane offense - one that entered the game with a league-leading 89 home runs - to five singles and three doubles.
 
The Knights grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Dalton Wingo’s hard grounder to the left of first baseman, allowing Tyler Osik to score from second. UCF added another run in the bottom of the fourth on Ben McCabe’s RBI single to right, making it 2-0.
 
Tulane got one back in the top of the fifth when Kody Hoese, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, shot a live drive to right-center, bringing home Sal Gozzo from second. Trevor Jensen was caught between third and home on the play, however, ending the Green Wave’s threat to tie the game.
 
Matthew Mika reclaimed a two-run lead for UCF in the bottom of the fifth as he took a 1-0 pitch high down the leftfield line for his seventh home run of the season, giving the Knights a 3-1 cushion. The lead reached 4-1 in the sixth inning after Ray Alejo scored on Anthony George’s sacrifice fly to left.
 
Tulane threatened in the top of the eighth when the first two men reached on a pair of base hits. But Spicer retired Hoese on a swinging strikeout for the first out. Hudson Haskin followed with an RBI single to left to make it 4-2, but Grant Mathews grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
 
George added a key insurance run in the eighth when he smacked his fourth home run of the season into the bullpen in leftfield, and UCF made it 6-2 when Brandon Hernandez scored on a wild pitch.
 
Mika went 2-for-3 with a home run, while Osik was 2-for-4 with two doubles to lead a UCF lineup that had nine hits. Tulane was led by Hoese, who was 2-for-4 with a double, and Gozzo, who went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Chase Solesky took the loss for Tulane, falling to 6-4.
 
2019 American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship
Spectrum Field · Clearwater, Fla.
 
Tuesday, May 21
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
Game 5: ECU 13, Houston 2 (Houston eliminated)
Game 6: UCF 8, Memphis 7 (10 innings) (Memphis eliminated)
 
Thursday, May 23
Game 7: UConn 9, Wichita State 7
Game 8: Cincinnati 8, Tulane 4
 
Friday, May 24 | American Digital Network
Game 9: Wichita State 12, ECU 5 (ECU eliminated)
Game 10: UCF 6, Tulane 2 (Tulane eliminated)
 
Saturday, May 25 | American Digital Network
Game 11: Wichita State vs. UConn | 10 a.m. ET
Game 12: Tulane vs. Cincinnati | 47 minutes following Game 11
Game 13: UConn vs. Wichita State (if necessary) | TBD
Game 14: Cincinnati vs. Tulane (if necessary) | TBD
 
Sunday, May 26 | Championship | ESPNews
Game 15: Semifinal winners | Noon ET