2022 American Athletic Conference baseball league play began on Friday, April 1.

Friday, April 1
Cincinnati 7, East Carolina 3 - Box Score
UCF 5, South Florida 0 - Box Score
Tulane 16, Memphis 3 - Box Score
Wichita State 4, Houston 0 - Box Score

Cincinnati 7, East Carolina 3 - Box Score
CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bearcats took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed from there on the way to a 7-3 win over the East Carolina Pirates on Friday. The win gives UC its first conference-win of the year. 

Sophomore pitcher Conner Linn (2-0) started on the mound and picked up the win for Cincinnati (10-14, 1-0). The southpaw went six innings, giving up one run on five hits, allowing two walks and striking out four.

At the plate, the Bearcats were led by redshirt sophomore catcher Joe Powell, who went 2-for-3 on the day with a double, a home run, a walk and two RBIs. Sophomore outfielder Cole Harting furnished a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBIs. Redshirt sophomore infielder Max Palmieri also helped out for Cincinnati, putting together one hit in three trips to the plate while adding a walk and an RBI.

UCF 5, South Florida 0 - Box Score
ORLANDO, Fla. – Three UCF pitchers combined to throw a one-hit shutout on Friday evening, as The Knights (16-10, 1-0) defeated South Florida (18-8, 0-1) 5-0 to open American Athletic Conference play. Connor Staine worked six innings, allowing one hit and striking out eight Bulls, improving to 4-0 on the season.
 
Kyle Kramer entered in the seventh and worked 1.2 innings striking out four batters. Chase Centala closed the game, stranding a pair in the eighth, before retiring the side in the ninth. He added two more strikeouts on the ninth to give the UCF staff 14.
 
The Knights opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as Tom Josten was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Gephry Pena. In the third, Lex Boedicker singled to right field to score Noah Orlando, one of Boedecker's three hits on the evening.

Tulane 16, Memphis 3 - Box Score
MEMPHIS – The Tulane University baseball team (17-9-1) took down Memphis (12-10) by of score of 16-3 in its conference play opener on Friday night inside Fedexpark Avron Fogelman Field.
 
Freshman right-hander Grant Siegel was electric on the mound. In 7.0 innings of work he gave up six runs on three hits, only two earned, one walk and 9nine punch outs. 
 
The Wave took a quick 2-0 lead in the first with Luis Aviles hitting a two-run homer scoring Ethan Groff who took a leadoff walk. Memphis would put up one run in the bottom of the first on an unearned run.
 
Memphis' D Kendrick struggled in the third walking both Groff and Aviles to start the inning. Jackson Linn would double one out to left field to load the bases. Aviles tagged up on a flyout to center field off the bat of Bennet Lee. Simon Baumgardt reached first on a fielder's choice. Chase Englehard got the Wave's second homer of the night, scoring Baumgart.  


Wichita State 4, Houston 0 - Box Score
HOUSTON – Jace Kaminska fired eight shutout innings with a career-high 12 strikeouts and Chuck Ingram hit a crucial home run as Wichita State blanked Houston 4-0 in the American Athletic Conference opener on Friday night.

Kaminska (2-2) became the first Shockers pitcher to fan 12 opposing hitters since Jake Hamilton struck out 13 against Northwestern State on February 14, 2020. Kaminska struck out the side in the second and third innings, at one point recording seven consecutive outs via the strikeout. He surrendered just four hits and allowed only one runner to reach third base. The sophomore right-hander improved to 4-0 in four career starts against the Cougars (17-9), and has allowed just two runs in 32.1 total innings (0.56 ERA).

The Shockers (12-13) got the only run they needed in the top of the third. With runners at the corners and one out, Garrett Kocis bounced a potential double play grounder to second base that was bobbled by Houston second baseman Brandon Burckel, allowing Will Stark to score from third for a 1-0 lead.

The score remained 1-0 until the ninth because of the efforts of Houston starter Jaycob Deese, who had limited Wichita State to just three hits through eight innings.