CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
 
CLEARWATER, Florida – A ninth-inning 3-run home run by Anthony Tulimero propelled Houston to a 9-6 win over UCF to advance to the title game at the 2022 TicketSmarter American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at BayCare Ballpark.
 
With the win, Houston (37-23) will face East Carolina in the Championship game on Sunday, May 29 at noon Eastern on ESPNEWS.
 
After Houston scored three in the top of the first, UCF (35-25) came back with three of its own on a solo home run by Freeland and a 2-run long ball by McCabe.
 
Houston would take the lead again in the top of the fifth when Anthony Tulimero singled to score Brandon Uhse, but Freeland homered to left in the bottom of the frame.
 
The Knights would take the lead in the sixth when McCabe struck for the second time to lead off the inning, while Gephry Pena added an another run when he drove in Andrew Sundean.
 
The Cougars tied the game in the eighth on an RBI groundout by Santiago Garcia and an RBI single by Ian McMillan. In the ninth, Brandon Burckel and Alex Lopez walked before Tulimero hit a 3-run shot off of Zach Hunsicker, who had just entered the game.
 
Logan Clayton (7-3) earned the win with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, while Jose Torrealba pitched a perfect ninth for his second save. Cameron Crain (2-3) took the loss, allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
 
Sunden’s double in the fourth inning was his fifth of the tournament, a Championship record.
 
2022 TicketSmarter American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship
 
Schedule
Tuesday, May 24
Game 1: No. 4 Cincinnati 8, No. 5 Tulane 1
Game 2: No. 1 East Carolina 7, No. 8 South Florida 1
Game 3: No. 7 Memphis 7, No. 2 UCF 6
Game 4: No. 3 Houston 10, No. 6 Wichita State 7
 
Wednesday, May 25
Game 5: Tulane 9, South Florida 6 (South Florida eliminated)
Game 6: UCF 12, Wichita State 4 (Wichita State eliminated)
 
Thursday, May 26
Game 7: East Carolina 15, Cincinnati 5 (7 innings)
Game 8: Houston 8, Memphis 7
 
Friday, May 27
Game 9: Tulane 13, Cincinnati 5 (Cincinnati eliminated)
Game 10: UCF 15, Memphis 2 (7 innings – Memphis eliminated)
 
Saturday, May 28
Game 11: East Carolina 8, Tulane 5 (Tulane eliminated)
Game 12: UCF 9, Houston 8 (10 innings)
Game 14: Houston 9, UCF 6 (UCF eliminated)
 
Sunday, May 29
Game 15: Houston vs. East Carolina | Noon | ESPNEWS