Both East Carolina and South Florida moved into the winner's bracket in their respective regionals after picking up victories on the first day of the 2021 NCAA Baseball Championship Friday, June 4.

On Saturday, June 5, South Florida will take on the Miami (Fla.) at 4 p.m. ET, while East Carolina will face Charlotte at 6 p.m. ET.

Friday, June 4
(13) East Carolina 8, Norfolk State 5 - Box Score
South Florida 5, (15) Florida 3 - Box Score

(13) East Carolina 8, Norfolk State 5 - Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A three-run home run off the bat of Thomas Francisco in the sixth inning gave East Carolina a lead it would not relinquish as the Pirates defeated Norfolk State 8-5 in the opening contest of the 2021 NCAA Greenville Regional Friday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
 
ECU's 11th comeback victory of the campaign propels the Pirates into the winner's bracket where they will face the winner of the second opening-round contest between No. 2 seed Charlotte and third-seeded Maryland Saturday at 6 p.m. 
 
Josh Moylan notched a pair of hits while Francisco paced all players with three RBI. Connor Norby and Francisco also scored a pair of runs apiece. Jacob Council led the Spartans offensively, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and one driven in. 
 
A.J. Wilson (1-0) was victorious in his first decision of the season, tossing 0.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. James Deloatch (7-3) was tagged with the loss after surrendering six runs (four earned) on six hits with six walks and three strikeouts in 5.2 frames of work. Matt Bridges picked up his fourth save of the year by recording the final out of the game with the bases loaded.   

South Florida 5, (15) Florida 3 - Box Score
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – South Florida (29-27) took down the No. 15-nationally ranked Florida Gators (39-21), 5-3, for the program's first postseason win over UF since 1982.
 
The Bulls broke the scoring seal in the top of the second inning. Jake Sullivan led off the frame with a single, and two batters later, with two outs, Nelson Rivera chased him home the first run of the game with a double down the left field line.
 
After flying out to the warning track in left-center field in his first at-bat of the game, Riley Hogan tried his luck in right field and deposited his 12th home run of the season onto the outfield berm to make it a 2-0 ballgame in favor of the Bulls.

Jack Jasiak earned a no decision in his start after allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts over 4.0 IP. The redshirt freshman sat the Gators down in order in his final inning of work.
 
In the top of the fifth, Carmine Lane demolished a solo homer out of the stadium and across the street in left field to pad USF's lead to 3-1. Florida answered back again with a run in the bottom of the fifth before the teams endured a two hour 18-minute rain delay.
 
Sullivan doubled down the left field line to open the sixth frame after the delay, and came around to score on a passed ball and wild pitch. The Bulls' final tally came in the top of the seventh on an RBI-single by Hogan to score Lane.
 
Dylan Burns (Vero Beach) took over on the hill for USF after the delay and turned in a dominant relief effort. The redshirt senior, who was a member of USF's 2017 & 2018 regional teams, retired the Gators in order in the sixth and seventh innings. Burns (5-5) earned the win after allowing just one run on one hit (a solo homer in the eighth) while striking out three over 3.0 IP.
 
Orion Kerkering (Venice) recorded his team-leading fifth save of the season with a scoreless inning of work in the ninth.