Memphis, South Florida and Wichita State picked up victories in American Athletic Conference baseball action on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Saturday, February 26
Wichita State 5, Pepperdine 2 - Box Score
Memphis 3, Brown 1 - Box Score
South Florida 9, Stony Brook 3 - Box Score
Georgia Southern 3, UCF 2 - Box Score
North Carolina 2, East Carolina 0 - Box Score

Wichita State 5, Pepperdine 2 - Box Score
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Payton Tolle allowed just one unearned run over 6.1 innings, and Wichita State picked up their first win of the 2022 season with a 5-2 victory over Pepperdine on Saturday afternoon at Whataburger Field.
 
Tolle (1-0) struck out seven and issued just one walk, surrendering six singles while pitching into the seventh. He retired the first seven hitters he faced, then stranded an opposing runner in scoring position in the third, fourth, and fifth innings.

Wichita State (1-6) supported Tolle offensively with a ten-hit attack, scoring twice in the third, once in the fifth, and twice more in the ninth. Garrett Kocis got the scoring started with a towering two-run home run to right field off Pepperdine starter Trevor Kniskern (1-1), his first home run of the season. Pepperdine (4-2) sliced the lead in half in the bottom of the inning after a two-out error prolonged the frame, grabbing a run on a Tolle wild pitch that scored Quintt Landis. 

Sawyre Thornhill homered for the second consecutive day with a line drive solo homer in the fifth, pushing the margin back to 3-1.

Memphis 3, Brown 1 - Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Tigers (4-1) worked around offensive threats by the Brown Bears (0-2) in each of the first five innings to keep the game scoreless, fell behind on an RBI groundout in the sixth, but plated three runs in the seventh frame to pick up the 3-1 victory Saturday, secure the series win, and set up a sweep chance Sunday.
 
LHP Dalton Fowler allowed just two hits and struck out seven over four+ innings, but four walks put him in trouble in each frame that he pitched. Brown left six runners on base over the first four innings, which included three at third base.

After RHP Blake Wimberley relieved Fowler and got out of a two on, nobody out jam in the fifth, a leadoff HBP in the sixth eventually scored on a groundout by RF Jackson Hipp, which put the Bears in front 1-0.

RHP Tobey McDonough stranded at least one man in scoring position in three of his six+ innings of work, as the Tigers left runners at second and third in the fourth and sixth frames. In relief of McDonough, RHP Gauge Lockhart (L, 0-1) saw sloppy defense behind him play a big part in Memphis' three-run seventh inning, as the Tigers had just one hit in the frame.

LF Ian Bibiloni scored from third base on an errant pickoff attempt by C Jacob Burley, CF Zach Wilson scored on a wild pitch, while RF Blake Daniels successfully stole home as SS Ben Brooks got intentionally caught a rundown, as Memphis led 3-1 after seven innings. 

The Tigers closed out the victory behind a scoreless seventh inning from LHP Logan Rushing (W, 1-0) and two-shutout frames from LHP Dalton Kendrick (SV, 1).

South Florida 9, Stony Brook 3 - Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. -- South Florida scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back, going on to defeat Stony Brook, 9-3, to earn the series win.

The Bulls (3-2) jumped on Josh O'Neill (0-1) with three runs in the first to give Brad Lord (2-0) all he would need. Lord finished with 5.1 innings of work with three runs allowed (two earned) with three strikeouts.

Daniel Cantu scored Ben Rozenblum and Keanu Jacobs-Guishard doubled to drive home Cantu and Jarrett Eaton in the first. Carmine Lane ended up with three hits, while Cantu and Rozenblum also drove in two runs.

Georgia Southern 3, UCF 2 - Box Score
STATESBORO, Ga. – Christian Avant singled to left field to score Parker Biederer from third, defeating UCF for the first time this season 3-2. The Knights fall to 5-1 on the season, while Georgia Southern improves to 2-4 on the year. 
 
Connor Staine worked the first four innings, allowing no hits and striking out two batters. The Eagles did not register their first hit until the fifth inning, as Biederer singled up the middle. Cylis Cox would relieve Staine in the fifth, working 1.1 innings and striking out one batter.
 
UCF opened the scoring in the fifth inning, as John Montes flied out to center field to score Ben McCabe. An inning later, Ben McCabe would double to right center field to score Tom Josten and increase the Knight's lead 2-0.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Georgia Southern scored on a Jason Swan single to cut into the UCF lead. The Eagles tied the ballgame in the seventh, as Jarrett Brown scored on the wild pitch. In the ninth, Christian Avant drove a ball into left field past Tom Josten to score Biederer from third.

North Carolina 2, East Carolina 0 - Box Score
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In a classic pitchers dual where both staffs allowed a combined nine hits, North Carolina came on top defeating No. 25 East Carolina 2-0 Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. With the win, the Tar Heels improve to 6-0 on the season and the Pirates fall to 1-5.
 
Angel Zarate plated the games only runs when he broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a two-out, two-RBI double for a 2-0 UNC lead. Reece Holbrook drew an one-out walk and two batters later advanced to second on Vance Honeycutt's single through the left side. After a Pirate pitching change, Zarate took a 2-1 offering from C.J. Mayhue to deep center field clearing the bases.
 
Max Carlson (1-0) earned the win tossing 5.2 scoreless frames where he gave up four hits while issuing one walk and striking out five. Caden O'Brien notched his second save of the season and the series striking out the side in the ninth inning. Shawn Rapp allowed a hit, fanned two and walked one in two-thirds of an inning. Davis Palermo worked 1.2 scoreless innings of relief with one punch out.
 
Jake Kuchmaner (0-1) suffered took the loss surrendering two runs (both earned) on two hits with three walks and one strikeout in 4.2 innings. Mayhue gave up one hit (game-winning double) in a third of an inning, while Josh Grosz established career-highs in innings pitched (three) and strikeouts (four) while giving up a hit and walking one.