All four road teams were victorious on Saturday, April 1 in American Athletic Conference baseball action.

Saturday, April 1
Wichita State 10, Cincinnati 6 - Box Score
South Florida 3, UCF 2 - Box Score
Memphis 3, Tulane 1 - Box Score
East Carolina 5, Houston 4 - Box Score

Wichita State 10, Cincinnati 6 - Box Score
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Wichita State jumped out to an 8-0 lead and fought off a late Cincinnati charge, downing the Bearcats 10-6 on Saturday afternoon at UC Baseball Stadium.

The Shockers (16-10, 2-0 American) have now won six straight games and clinched their first series win against Cincinnati after entering the series with a 2-11 record against the Bearcats.

Wichita State appeared well on their way to a comfortable victory after scoring four runs in the third inning, one in the fourth, and three in the top of the sixth to take an 8-0 advantage. But Cincinnati (11-18, 0-2) surged back with two runs in the sixth and four more in the eighth to make things interesting, before the Shockers snagged a pair of vital insurance runs in the ninth for the final margin.

Brock Rodden got his big offensive day started by banging a two-run double to the gap in right-center against Cincinnati starter Chase Horst (1-3), and two batters later trotted home an RBI groundout from Payton Tolle for a 3-0 lead. David Herring made it a four-run inning by slicing an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Mauricio Millan all the way from first base.

Rodden added another double in the fourth, this one an RBI two-bagger hit high off the fence in right-center to score Jack Little for a 5-0 lead.

The Shockers blew the game open with a three-spot in the top of the sixth. A double steal from Jack Little and Jordan Rogers brought home the first run, followed by run-scoring singles from Rodden and Millan for the 8-0 margin.

Tolle (6-0) battled his way through five innings shutout innings to earn the victory, exiting in the sixth after the first two men in the inning reached and later scored. Tolle struck out seven and walked one on the day, allowing six hits.

South Florida 3, UCF 2 - Box Score
ORLANDO – For the second straight game, the University of South Florida Bulls (12-16, 2-0 American) used strong pitching and timely hitting to defeat the UCF Knights (16-11, 0-2), a 3-2 victory on Saturday night. South Florida secured the series win over UCF, has won three straight overall and four of its last five ballgames.

It marked the first time USF has ever won a series in Orlando since the teams began playing annually in 2014. Hunter Mink turned in his third consecutive quality start for the Bulls, tossing 6.1 shutout innings to improve to 5-2 this season.

Drew Brutcher staked H. Mink to a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a two-out home run to the opposite field. USF stretched its lead to 3-0 in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Nelson Rivera. That insurance run proved to be the game-winner for the Bulls.

USF pitching tossed 16 straight shutout innings at UCF in the series before the Knights got on the board with their 50th team home run in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 3-2 affair.

The home run came against Nolan Hudi, who relieved H. Mink in the bottom of the seventh and recorded a pair of big outs to continue to blank the Knights.

Chandler Dorsey relieved Hudi after the UCF home run and retired the side in the eighth inning. Riley Skeen came on in the ninth inning to record his fourth save of the season and second in as many days.

Memphis 3, Tulane 1 - Box Score
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The University of Memphis baseball team rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to defeat Tulane, 3-1, on Saturday night at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium to force a Sunday rubber match.
 
With the win, Memphis improved to 16-12 on the season overall and 1-1 in American Athletic Conference play, while Tulane fell to 7-20 (1-1 American).
 
Memphis and Tulane were locked in a pitcher's dual early. Lefty Dalton Fowler brought his best stuff, striking out 12 and allowing three hits through five innings while Tulane starter Chandler Welch matched him, allowing just three Memphis hits through his first five frames. Fowler recorded eight-consecutive outs as strikeouts from the third through fifth innings.

Green Wave first baseman Brady Marget untied the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, sneaking a solo shot just inside the right-field foul pole to give Tulane a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers went into the ninth inning down a run and needing a rally. RJ Jimerson and Cameron Benson led off the inning with back-to-back walks, and Tyler Heckert came in to run for Jimerson.

Jonah Sutton singled through the left side on a textbook hit and run to score Heckert and tie the game, then Jake Curtis laid down a bunt and the throw to first was wild, allowing Benson to score from second and give the Tigers their first lead of the night. Sutton then came in to score on a wild pitch to give Memphis a 3-1 lead and a big insurance run.

Lefty closer Dalton Kendrick entered in the ninth and slammed the door on the Green Wave, striking out a pair before getting a fly out to right to clinch the comeback win.

East Carolina 5, Houston 4 - Box Score
HOUSTON, TEXAS – No. 8 East Carolina rallied from an early two-run deficit to pick up a 5-4 victory over Houston Saturday night at Schroeder Park, evening the teams' opening American Athletic Conference series at a game apiece.
 
The Pirates (20-7, 1-1) were buoyed offensively by two-hit efforts from Jacob Starling and Ryan McCrystal while the Cougars (13-14, 1-1) saw three players rap out a pair of base hits each. Josh Moylan chipped in with a pair of RBI as well.
 
Carter Spivey turned in a strong start, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing just two earned runs on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Landon Ginn (1-0) earned the win in relief, yielding two runs on five hits and striking out two hitters. Beal recorded a strikeout in 1.1 scoreless frames to complete his first save of the campaign.
 
Houston drew first blood in the bottom of the second. Cameron Nickens doubled to right field to lead things off before Justin Murray singled up the middle, allowing Nickens to score from second. Brandon Burckell followed with a single through the left side and Ian McMillan laid down a squeeze bunt to plate Murray. The Cougars had two more on base in the frame, but Jacob Jenkins-Cowart corralled a liner in right to retire the side and keep the deficit at two.
 
East Carolina conjured up some two-out magic in the fourth to draw itself level. Starling singled to shallow center field and Luke Nowak walked on a full count to bring up Alec Makarewicz who shot a single up the middle to send Starling home. The Cougars sailed the ball past third on the same play, affording Nowak to liberty to score and knot the contest up at two.
 
Houston attempted an answer in the home half of the fourth, loading the bases with a walk, single and Pirate throwing error, but Spivey tallied a strikeout and induced a foul out near third to reach the brink of escaping the jam. Zach Arnold pounded the first pitch he saw to center, but Ryley Johnson made an absolutely spectacular catch, crashing into the wall and holding on to record the third out.
 
The Pirates put up a carbon copy of their offensive efforts in the fifth, receiving two-out singles from Carter Cunningham and Jenkins-Cowart before Moylan shot a double down the right field line to score both runs and give ECU a 4-2 advantage.
 
Ginn entered in the bottom of the fifth with Cougar runners on the corners and one out, doing a masterful job of erasing the threat by coaxing a shallow fly ball to left and a grounder to short in succession. Nathan Chrismon provided the impetus for further activity on the bases in the seventh, reaching on a fielder's choice, stealing second and moving to third on a wild pitch. Cunningham made sure his efforts did not go for naught, sending a fly ball deep enough into left for the sacrifice fly and a 5-2 East Carolina cushion.
 
The Cougars drew within one with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of eighth, but with two additional runners on the bases and two away, Beal fanned Nickens swinging to keep the Pirate lead intact. The ECU righty wrapped up the save in the ninth, retiring the home side in order.