STATISTICS
Wednesday, April 24 Results:
Highlights:
American Athletic Conference baseball teams went 4-0 against regional opponents on Wednesday, as UConn, Cincinnati, No. 11 ECU and USF each picked up a midweek win. The conference improves to 35-15 against nonconference opponents in April and 150-95 overall against other leagues this season. The American’s baseball teams return to conference play this weekend, as the race to the top of the league’s standings continues.
UConn 2, Rhode Island 1
UConn rallied behind strong pitching Wednesday in a 2-1 victory against Rhode Island at J.O. Christian Field. Six UConn pitchers allowed just one run against the Rams, including eight shutout frames to finish the ballgame. Caleb Wurster tossed three scoreless innings to bridge the gap to UConn closer Jake Wallace. With the Huskies leading 2-1, Wurster came out of the bullpen with bases loaded and no outs in the sixth. The lefthander immediately induced a 1-2-3 double play and a fly out to get out of the jam and preserve the lead. Wallace recorded his ninth save with a clean final frame, lowering his ERA to 0.39 on the year.
Anthony Prato and Mike Woodworth each drove in runs for the Huskies. John Toppa and Kyler Fedko both collected multi-hit efforts in the win. UConn takes a break from American play over the weekend and will head to Huntsville, Texas, for a three-game series at Sam Houston State.
No. 11 ECU 10, Old Dominion 7
No. 11 ECU extended its conference-best winning streak to six in a row with a 10-7 Wednesday night win at Old Dominion. The Pirates won their second game this week behind a five-run eighth inning. Spencer Brickhouse drove in two runs with an RBI single during that frame. Leading 10-2 to enter the bottom of the ninth, ECU held off Old Dominion’s late five-run rally, which included a grand slam from Andy Garriola, as ECU freshman Garrett Saylor took the mound to make the final out of the game, earning his first-career save.
Lane Hoover led ECU at the plate with three hits and two runs scored, while Jake Washer went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Starter Alec Burleson picked up his fourth win of the year after scattering a run and three hits through the first 4.0 innings. Gavin Williams pitched 3.0 scoreless innings in relief, fanning two, while surrendering only one hit. The top two teams in The American’s standings will clash in a three-game set when ECU welcomes Tulane to the diamond for a series this weekend.
Cincinnati 5, Eastern Kentucky 2
Cincinnati bounced back from a Tuesday night setback, defeating Eastern Kentucky 5-2 to split its midweek action. Back-to-back home runs from Mitch Holding and Jeremy Johnson in the fifth inning ignited a five-run scoring surge, while the Bearcats’ bullpen locked down the win. Chase Stewart got Cincinnati out of a jam with the bases loaded and two outs in the third inning before tossing 3.0 innings of work to earn the win. Korren Thompson shut the door for his sixth save, striking out three in the ninth.
Three Bearcats enjoyed multi-hit games. Eric Santiago went 2-for-5 out of the leadoff spot with a run scored, as Wyatt Stapp finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Joey Wiemer was 2-for-3 with a walk. He swiped four bags on the night—the most stolen bases of any Cincinnati played since the 2013 season. The Bearcats’ homestand continues with Wichita State in town this weekend.
USF 6, Florida Gulf Coast 1
USF held Florida Gulf Coast to four hits, while eight Bulls recorded a base knock in a 6-1 win over the Eagles Wednesday night. The Bulls have won four in a row heading into conference play this weekend. Kyle Phillips, Joe Genord and Alex Bello each had two hits, combining for four RBIs and two runs. Righthander Dylan Burns threw 4.0 scoreless and hitless innings in relief and earned his second win of the season. USF led with 15 hits, registering double-digit hits for the 15th time this year. The Bulls return to league play with a three game series against Houston beginning Friday. The series opener will be streamed live on the American Digital Network.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, April 26
Memphis at UCF* - 6 p.m.
Wichita State at Cincinnati* - 6 p.m.
Tulane at ECU* - 6:30 p.m.
Houston at USF* (ADN) - 7 p.m.
UConn at Sam Houston State - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 27
Wichita State at Cincinnati* - 4 p.m.
UConn at Sam Houston State - 4 p.m.
Tulane at ECU* - 4 p.m.
Memphis at UCF* - 6 p.m.
Houston at USF* - 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 28
Wichita State at Cincinnati* - Noon
UConn at Sam Houston State - Noon
Tulane at ECU* - 1 p.m.
Houston at USF* - 1 p.m.
Memphis at UCF* - 1 p.m.
All times Eastern and subject to change
*Denotes conference game
All times Eastern and subject to change
*Denotes conference game