Memphis and UCF picked up shutouts on Opening Day of the 2022 American Athletic Conference baseball season on Friday, Feb. 18.

Friday, February 18
Memphis 13, Valparaiso 0 - Box Score
UCF 12, Siena 0 - Box Score
Cincinnati 9, FGCU 6 - Box Score
Tulane 10, UMass Lowell 2 - Box Score
Cal 4, Houston 2 (10 innings) - Box Score
Bryant 10, East Carolina 2 - Box Score
UConn 5, South Florida 4 (10 innings) - Box Score
Louisiana Tech 7, Wichita State 3 - Box Score

Memphis 13, Valparaiso 0 - Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Behind dominant pitching and at least a run in five of their eight trips to the plate, the Memphis Tigers (1-0) easily handled the Valparaiso Beacons (0-1) in a 13-0 rout on Opening Day. Three Memphis pitchers combined for a one-hit shutout, while nine different players recorded at least one hit.
  
RHP Connor Shamblin (W, 1-0) allowed only one hit, a first inning single, over six-shutout innings in his Memphis debut. Shamblin struck out seven and walked just one.

The Tigers took the lead in the second inning on a two-out RBI single by LF Ian Bibiloni. Memphis doubled the lead to 2-0 on a two-out RBI single by 3B Logan Kohler one frame later. With one run already across in the fifth inning against RHP Trent Turzenski (L, 0-1), Kohler blasted a two-run home run over the right field wall to put Memphis in front 5-0

UCF 12, Siena 0 - Box Score
ORLANDO, Fla. – David Litchfield worked six innings of two-hit baseball, recording a career-high eight strikeouts in the Knights 12-0 victory over Siena on Friday night. UCF improves to 1-0 on the season, while the Saints fall to 0-1.
 
UCF opened the scoring in the third, when Nick Romano singled up the middle to score Cole Russo. The Knights would add a pair in the fourth and sixth innings to increase the lead to 5-0.
 
In the eighth, UCF would send 10 batters to the plate. Cole Russo would get the inning started when he singled to right field to score Ben McCabe. Gephry Pena added to the scoring, driving in two more runs with a single to left. Nick Romano would plate two more runs on a blooper to right field, before Pablo Ruiz came to the plate to pinch-hit. 
 
Ruiz would launch the first pitch he saw this season into left field for a two-run home run to cap off the night. Zack Hunsicker would relieve Litchfield in the seven, working two innings and striking out two batters. Hunsicker worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to keep the Saints off the board.

Cincinnati 9, FGCU 6 - Box Score
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Cincinnati Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed on the way to a 9-6 victory against the FGCU Eagles on Friday.

Senior pitcher Tristan Weaver (1-0) started on the mound and picked up the win for Cincinnati (1-0) in his UC debut. The left-hander went five innings, giving up one run on two hits, allowing three walks and striking out four. Senior pitcher Ryan Steckline also made an impact on the mound for the Bearcats, throwing 2.2 innings, giving up one run on one hit, with no walks and three strikeouts.

In the batter's box, the Bearcats were paced by redshirt junior outfielder Griffin Merritt, who went 3-for-4 on the day with a triple, a home run and two RBIs. Redshirt sophomore catcher Joe Powell compiled a noteworthy effort as well, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Redshirt sophomore infielder Ryan Nicholson also chipped in for Cincinnati, putting together two hits in five trips to the plate while adding an RBI.

Tulane 10, UMass Lowell 2 - Box Score
NEW ORLEANS -- Tulane's bats came alive in the middle innings in a 10-2 win over UMass Lowell, to earn the 11th-consecutive Opening Day victory for the Green Wave.

Brady Herbert and Ethan Groff both scored two runs for the Green Wave (1-0), who scored at least two runs from the third inning to the sixth to pull away from the Riverhawks (0-1).

Tyler Hoffman settled down after allowing a first-inning run, giving up two runs in 4.1 innings of work with three strikeouts. Chandler Welch (1-0) came on and shut the door, striking out five in 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Joshua Becker (0-1) took the loss for UMass Lowell, allowing six runs in 4.0 innings. 

Cal 4, Houston 2 (10 innings) - Box Score
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Houston Baseball took a one-run lead in the eighth inning but could not hold on as Cal used a solo home run in the ninth and pair of runs in the 10th to outlast the Cougars, 4-2 in the season opener Friday afternoon at Salt River Fields.
 
The result spoiled a strong start from Houston right-hander Nathan Medrano who tossed 7.0 innings, permitting three hits and one run while walking one and striking out six in his Cougar debut. The 7.0 frames were the most for a Houston starter on Opening Day since 2014. 
 
Houston (0-1) and Cal (1-0) exchanged zeroes through six frames before combining for six runs on five hits in the last four innings. Cal freshman Caleb Lomavita (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) tied the contest at two with a leadoff solo homer in the ninth.
 
With one away in the 10th, the Golden Bears took advantage of a leadoff hit by pitch and intentional walk as junior Nathan Martorella (1-for-5, 1 RBI) delivered an RBI-single and Lomavita tacked on with a sacrifice fly. 
 
Trailing 1-0 in the eighth, Houston capitalized on Cal miscues, going ahead 2-1 on a Cameron Nickens grounder back to the pitcher. The dribbler was fielded and thrown wide of first base by Cal reliever Chris Stamos, allowing Anthony Tulimero (walk) and Samuel Benjamin (reached on an error) to score.
 
Houston was limited to five hits, thanks in part to preseason All-America starter Josh White who struck out 10 batters across 5.1 scoreless frames. Reliever Henrik Reinertse (1-0) secured the win, tossing 2.0 hitless innings to close things out.
 
Houston's Derrick Cherry (0-1) drew the loss, allowed three runs on as many hits while striking out one in 3.0 innings of work. Designated hitter Alex Lopez (1-for-4), first baseman Ryan Hernandez (1-for-4) and shortstop Ian McMillan each reached base twice.

Bryant 10, East Carolina 2 - Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Collin Lowe worked five scoreless frames while Alex Lane and Derek Smith combined for five hits and plated three runs leading Bryant to a 10-2 win over No. 12 East Carolina in the 2022 season opener at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
 
Lane, who was 2-for-4 on the day, staked the Bulldogs to an early 2-0 lead with a two-run home run off Garrett Saylor (0-1). Smith drew an opening frame walk and scored two pitches later on Lane's blast to left field.
 
Lowe (1-0) scatted four hits, walked one and struck out three for his first win as a Bulldog. John MacDonald gave up a pair of runs (both earned) on three hits with a walk and one strikeout in three innings of work, while Kevin Sylvestri issued a pair of free passes and fanned one in the ninth inning.
 
Saylor worked a career-best four-plus innings as the opening day starter where he was touched for four runs (all earned) on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. From that point on, the Pirates used seven arms out of the bullpen (all right-handers) getting work from Nick Logusch (0.1 IP, 1 R, 1 K), Ben Terwilliger (1.2 IP, 4 Ks), Danny Beal (0.2 IP, 2 Rs), Trey Yesavage (0.0 IP, 3 BBs), Ryder Giles (1.1 IP, 1 K), Jordan Little (0.1 IP, 3 Rs) and Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (0.2 IP).

UConn 5, South Florida 4 (10 innings) - Box Score
TAMPA – In a battle of NCAA postseason teams from last season with aspirations for the same in 2022, the University of South Florida (0-1) and UConn (1-0) squared off on opening day with the Huskies prevailing in 10 innings, 5-4.

One of the Bulls' biggest postseason heroes in 2021, Jarrett Eaton, went 2-for-4 with two RBI on Friday night at USF Baseball Stadium, including a go-ahead two-run double with two outs in the sixth.

Eaton batted .368 with six doubles and nine RBI over 11 postseason games for South Florida a year ago.

Jack Jasiak allowed two runs on six hits over 6.0 IP with four strikeouts in his starting effort. The right-hander tallied his 15th quality start in 21st career start for USF.

UConn starter Austin Peterson struck out 13 Bulls over 5.2 IP.

Louisiana Tech 7, Wichita State 3 - Box Score
RUSTON, La. – Wichita State jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three and a half innings, but Louisiana Tech rattled off the next seven runs to seize a 7-3 win in the season opener at Pat Patterson Park on Friday night.
 
The Shockers (0-1) drew first blood in the top of the fourth. After a single from Garrett Kocis and a Xavier Casserilla double started the frame, Ross Cadena poked a one-out single through the right side to put Wichita State in front, 1-0. Couper Cornblum followed by hooking a double into the left field corner, bringing in two for a 3-0 advantage.
 
Wichita State starter Jace Kaminska had allowed just two singles through three scoreless innings, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth. A single and a walk began the inning, and one batter later Jorge Corona lifted a three-run homer to left-center, tying the game at 3-3.
 
The Bulldogs (1-0) moved in front in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and runners at first and second, Steele Netterville hit a soft one-hop ground ball to deep shortstop. The throw to first base was late, allowing Taylor Young to score all the way from second for a 4-3 lead. Louisiana Tech added to the cushion in the bottom of the seventh with three more tallies, scratching across one courtesy of a Cole McConnell sacrifice fly and two more on a single from Corona combined with a WSU error.

Jonathan Fincher (1-0) picked up the win for the Bulldogs, allowing three runs over five innings of work, while reliever Cade Gibson notched the save with four spotless innings and seven strikeouts. 

LJ McDonough (0-1) took the loss for Wichita State, surrendering the go-ahead run in the fifth. Adam Ketelsen made his Shocker debut with 1.2 innings out of the bullpen, a total matched by subsequent reliever Foster Gifford.