UCF, East Carolina and USF took series leads, while Tulane picked up a series win in American Athletic Conference baseball action on Saturday, May 1.

Saturday, May 1
East Carolina 11, Wichita State 3 - Box Score
UCF 13, Memphis 6 - Box Score
USF 12, Cincinnati 3 - Box Score
Houston 7, Tulane 4 (Game 1) - Box Score
Tulane 6, Houston 5 (Game 2) - Box Score

East Carolina 11, Wichita State 3 - Box Score
WICHITA, Kan. – Tyler Smith worked a season-high six innings with four strikeouts, while his offense pounded out 12 hits as No. 10 East Carolina took game three of the weekend series over Wichita State 11-3 at Eck Stadium Saturday afternoon. With the win the Pirates improve to 30-8 on the season and 12-3 in American Athletic Conference play and the Shockers fall to 21-17 and 9-9.
 
The Pirates wasted little time in getting on the board scoring five runs in the first inning for a 5-0 lead. Connor Norby started the game with a single which was followed by Thomas Francisco's double. Two batters later Alec Makarewicz laced a two-run single to left field clearing the bases. Lane Hoover walked to keep the frame going and Zach Agnos doubled to left-center plating Makarewicz and Hoover. Bryson Worrell collected the fifth hit (third double) of the inning scoring Agnos.
 
Smith (2-2) allowed just one run (earned) on three hits with a walk and four strikeouts on the day. The right-hander faced the minimum over 4.1 innings despite giving up single in the second and walk in the fourth, which were both erased on stolen base attempts. Josh Grosz gave up a pair of runs (both earned) on four hits with a strikeout in his 1.1 innings of relief. C.J. Mayhue came in with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth inning and struck out the two batters he faced. Danny Beal worked a scoreless ninth with one strikeout.
 
Liam Eddy (3-7) didn't make it out of the first innings as the Pirates struck for five runs (all earned) on five hits with a walk and a strikeout in one-third of an inning. Tommy Barnhouse was touched for a pair of runs (both earned) in his three relief frames, while Spencer Hynes allowed three runs (all earned) in 2.2 innings. Derek Shaver (1.0 IP, 1 BB) and Josh Hansell (2.0 IP, 1 R) worked the final three frames.

UCF 13, Memphis 6 - Box Score
Orlando, Fla. – In the third contest with Memphis at John Euliano Park, the Knights offense exploded to propel UCF to victory on Saturday. The Knights move to 21-22 on the year after smacking 14 hits to plate 13 runs. 
 
The Tigers took the first lead in the game, plating a run on the only UCF error of the game in the second inning.
 
The Knights promptly answered with two runs in the second inning, as Ben McCabe doubled to drive in Alex Freeland after he was hit by a pitch to start the half. Following up the double, Pablo Ruiz singled in McCabe to give UCF their first lead of the contest.
 
Memphis responded to the one run deficit in the fourth with a double and single of their own to even the game at two runs each. With two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Nick Romano doubled to drive in two, putting the Black and Gold back in front. Andrew Brait provided a single to right, scoring Romano as UCF would take a 5-2 lead.
 
Once again, the Tigers offense answered UCF's runs, plating three runs on three hits, all singles, in the fifth to tie the game at five runs each. In the
 
USF 12, Cincinnati 3 - Box Score
TAMPA – Jake Sullivan and Riley Hogan combined for seven RBI on Saturday afternoon as the USF Bulls (17-20, 7-8 AAC) rode an offensive explosion to a 12-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats (20-20, 9-10 AAC).
 
Less than 24 hours removed from a doubleheader split where the Bulls struggled to drive in runners in scoring position, USF broke out of its funk with a 7-for-11 effort in that same category.
 
The Bulls plated a pair in the first inning, capped on a sacrifice fly by Sullivan to take an early 2-0 advantage. Following a scoreless second, the Bearcats jumped in front with a trio of runs in the top of the third.
 
Cincinnati's lead would be short lived though as Sullivan evened things on the scoreboard with an RBI-single to center in the bottom of the third. The Bearcats wouldn't scratch the plate again for the remainder of the ballgame, while the Bulls were just getting started.
 
A two-out double down the right field line by Daniel Cantu gave USF the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth before the Bulls exploded for five runs in the fifth, and plated three more for good measure in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Cantu, Hogan, Sullivan and Carmine Lane each had two hits and at least one RBI in the tilt.
 
With the offense firing on all cylinders, Logan Lyle gave the Bulls a lengthy and efficient relief outing after entering the game in the top of the third inning. In his longest relief appearance of the season, Lyle (2-1) scattered five hits and struck out four over 5.1 IP for the win.

Houston 7, Tulane 4 (Game 1) - Box Score
NEW ORLEANS – Houston produced a seven-run third inning and received steady pitching from starter Ben Sears to take down No. 25 Tulane, 7-4 in the doubleheader opener on Saturday afternoon from Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. Houston's victory snapped Tulane's win streak at 12 consecutive games, the longest for the program since 2001. 
 
Closer Derrick Cherry locked down his third save highlighted by escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning. The right-hander, who recorded two quick outs before Tulane juiced the bases, worked around four hits while allowing one run with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
 
Houston sent 11 batters to the plate in the third including Kyle Lovelace who reached twice in the frame with the latter coming on a two-out, two-run double. The Cougars collected six hits and scored seven runs including a two-RBI double from Ryan Hernandez.
 
The seven runs were the most in an inning for Houston this season. Will Pendergrass (2-for-4) and Steven Rivas (1-for-3) added consecutive RBI-singles and Ian McMillan contributed an RBI-groundout. The Cougars sent seven batters to the plate before recording an out.

Tulane 6, Houston 5 (Game 2) - Box Score
NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University baseball team (24-14, 13-2 AAC) held on for a 6-5 American Athletic Conference win over Houston (16-23, 4-12 AAC) in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday evening at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.
 
The win marked the Green Wave's 13th in their last 14 games, as they took the series, 3-1, over the Cougars.
 
Redshirt sophomore outfielder Jared Hart went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a career-high four stolen bases, which are tied for the second most in a single game in program history. They are the most since Nick Boullosa accomplished the feat against Jackson State in 2011. Shortstop Collin Burns contributed three more hits, as Ethan Groff added two hits, two runs and two RBI.
 
Sophomore right-hander Tyler Hoffman improved to 4-1 on the mound this season with eight strikeouts over 5.1 innings of work while allowing just two hits and one run while walking three.
 
Graduate student Keagan Gillies worked around three hits in the bottom of the ninth to strike out the side and record his third save of the season.