UCF, Memphis and Tulane earned victories Saturday, Feb. 19 to clinch series wins in American Athletic Conference baseball action.

Saturday, February 19
Memphis 4, Valparaiso 3 - Box Score
Tulane 11, UMass Lowell 0 - Box Score
UCF 16, Siena 2 - Box Score
South Florida 8, Louisville 4 - Box Score
Cincinnati 15, FGCU 14 (11 innings, Game 1) - Box Score
FGCU 10, Cincinnati 5 (Game 2) - Box Score
Bryant 5, East Carolina 4 (10 innings) - Box Score
Louisiana Tech 9, Wichita State 6 - Box Score
San Diego State 4, Houston 1 - Box Score

Memphis 4, Valparaiso 3 - Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Trailing 3-0 at the seventh inning stretch, the Memphis Tigers (2-0) rallied to tie the game with a three-run seventh inning, while Taylor Howell came through two innings later with a pinch-hit walk-off single in a 4-3 Memphis victory over the Valparaiso Beacons (0-2). The Tigers got seven-shutout innings from the bullpen, while Valparaiso's bullpen allowed four runs in only 2.1 frames.
 
The first three Beacons of the day to face LHP Dalton Fowler (ND) reached base, while an RBI single from 1B Kyle Schmack and a bases loaded walk from Spencer Warfield gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. Valparaiso added another run in the second frame, as four straight batters reached with two outs, as once again a bases loaded walk plated a run

In the ninth, Ben Brooks led off with a ground ball to Chasey, but the Valparaiso pitcher threw it away at first base for a leadoff error, while DH Jacob Compton followed with a double and forced the Beacons to go back to the bullpen.

With two men in scoring position, RHP Bobby Nowak struck out 2B Austin Baskin, but pinch hitter Taylor Howell poked an RBI single down the left field line that gave Memphis the 4-3 walk-off win
 
After just two innings from Dalton Fowler, Blake Wimberley allowed just one hit and struck out seven over five innings of shutout relief. Dalton Kendrick (W, 1-0) followed Wimberley with two frames of one-hit scoreless relief

Tulane 11, UMass Lowell 0 - Box Score
NEW ORLEANS- The Tulane University baseball team (2-0) defeated the University of Massachusetts Lowell (0-2) in a 11-0 ballgame on Saturday afternoon inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.
 
The Green Wave played a clean game in the field and weren't fooled by UML's pitchers as they collected 11 hits while only striking out twice as a group.
 
Sophomore Dylan Carmouche dazzled in his debut on the mound for Tulane. The Mississippi State transfer completed six scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing only four hits.
 
It was a day of firsts for freshman Brennan Lambert. The first-year player got the start at designated hitter and collected his first hit, RBI, and home run in three different at bats. 

UCF 16, Siena 2 - Box Score
ORLANDO, Fla. – Four different Knights homered on Saturday night, as UCF defeated Siena 16-2 at John Euliano Park. The Knights improved to 2-0 on the season, while Siena falls to 0-2. Connor Staine earned his first collegiate win on Saturday, working 4.2 innings, allowing one hit and two unearned runs.
 
Staine struck out eight batters before being removed due to reaching his pitch count limit. The eight strikeouts are one shy of his career-high, which happened while attending Maryland. Siena would open the scoring in the top of the first to lead 1-0.
 
The black and gold would respond in the bottom half, as Nick Romano crushed a two-run home run to regain the lead. Later in the inning Tom Josten scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead 3-1. 
 
In the third, UCF blew open the scoring behind seven runs by the Knights offense. Ben McCabe led off the inning with a solo home run, followed by two runs scoring on an error. Tom Josten highlighted the inning with a grand slam, the first since Pablo Ruiz hit one against Memphis in 2021. 
 
UCF would add three more in the fifth and eighth innings, as Alex Freeland joined the home run parade. Noah Orlando would clear the bases in the eighth with a triple down the line in left, before scoring on an RBI groundout from Brogan Napier. 

South Florida 8, Louisville 4 - Box Score
TAMPA – The USF baseball team posted its first win of the 2022 season (1-1) downing Louisville (1-1), 8-4, at the USF Baseball Stadium Saturday night to record head coach Billy Mohl's 100th career win.

Bulls starting pitcher Brad Lord recorded six strikeouts and allowed two earned runs in five innings of work before giving away to Devin Hemenway, who gave up one hit in two innings of work. Sophomore Hunter Mink entered in the eighth and allowed no runs while giving up two hits and striking out two to close the door on the Cardinals.

Six Bulls drove in a run, eight scored, and four had two or more hits on the night, including doubles from Drew Brutcher, Daniel Cantu and Nelson Riviera and a triple from Carmine Lane, who drove in two runs while going 3-of-5 on the night. USF logged 12 hits as Louisville posted eight and both teams committed two errors.

The Bulls got six runs in the second inning, utilizing six hits and two Cardinals errors, to establish control early and chase Cardinals starter Jared Poland after two innings.

Cincinnati 15, FGCU 14 (11 innings, Game 1) - Box Score
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The university of Cincinnati baseball team needed 11 innings to get the job done, but it secured the 15-14 extra-innings victory over the FGCU Eagles Saturday.

Redshirt junior pitcher Jackson Murphy (1-0) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Cincinnati (2-0). The right-hander went 1.1 shutout innings while giving up two hits, allowing no walks and striking out two. Sophomore pitcher Max Bergmann also made an impact on the mound for the Bearcats, throwing four innings, giving up two runs, all earned, on five hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Offensively, the Bearcats were paced by redshirt junior outfielder Paul Komistek, who went 5-for-6 on the day with a double, a home run, a walk and three RBIs. Redshirt sophomore infielder Ryan Nicholson put together a noteworthy day at the dish as well, going 3-for-6 with a home run, a walk and two RBIs. Redshirt junior outfielder Griffin Merritt also helped out for Cincinnati, putting together two hits in five trips to the plate while adding a home run and two RBIs.

FGCU 10, Cincinnati 5 (Game 2) - Box Score
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Despite picking up eight hits in the ballgame and out-hitting FGCU, the university of Cincinnati baseball team was unable to push across more runs, as the Bearcats lost to the Eagles, 10-5, Saturday.

Redshirt sophomore pitcher Alex Shea (0-1) got the ball to start for Cincinnati (2-1) and ended the night giving up two earned runs over 3.2 innings and striking out three.

Redshirt sophomore infielder Ryan Nicholson led the way offensively for the Bearcats, going 1-for-3 in the ballgame with a home run and an RBI. Redshirt junior outfielder Griffin Merritt sent one over the fence as well, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Redshirt senior infielder Wyatt Stapp also chipped in, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Bryant 5, East Carolina 4 (10 innings) - Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Derek Smith's RBI double in the 10th frame scored John Tuccillo from second base giving Bryant a 5-4 extra inning series win over No. 12 East Carolina Saturday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Bulldogs improve to 2-0, while the Pirates drop to 0-2 and suffer their first home series loss since 2018.
 
With the game knotted at three all heading into the 10th Matt Woods laced his third hit of the contest with a one-out double down the right field line. Damaury Rodriguez followed with a single to center where Woods moved to third and Rodriguez moved into scoring position on the throw. Tuccillo reached on a throwing error allowing Woods to cross home for a one-run lead, 4-3 before Smith's shot to right-center scored the would-be game winning run.
 
Alec Makarewicz first home run of the season, a solo blast to right field, pulled the Pirates within one in the bottom of the 10th but M.T. Morrissey closed the door getting a pair of strikeouts to end the game for his first save of the season.
 
Coleman Picard (1-0) picked up the win in relief tossing 2.1 scoreless frames where he issued one walk. Starter Jared Burrows allowed one run (earned) on three hits in his five innings where he struck out five. Austin Wainer (0.2 IP, 1 R) and Christian Allegretti (1.0 IP, 1 R) also pitched in relief for the Bulldogs.
 
Skylar Brooks (0-1) took the loss surrendering two unearned runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Jake Kuchmaner was solid in his start giving up one unearned run on four hits with a walk and eight punchouts in six complete frames. C.J. Mayhue surrendered two runs (both earned) on one hit with five strikeouts in three full innings, while Merritt Beeker made his collegiate debut retiring the lone batter he faced in the 10th getting Carmine Petosa to fly out to center.

Louisiana Tech 9, Wichita State 6 - Box Score
RUSTON, La. – Wichita State was unable to hold a 6-1 seventh inning lead, as Louisiana Tech scored five in the seventh and three in the eighth for a 9-6 win on Saturday afternoon at Pat Patterson Park.
 
The Shockers (0-2) scored three three times in the top of the seventh to push their lead out to five, but the Bulldogs (2-0) had an immediate answer in the bottom of the frame. The first five batters of the inning reached base, trimming the margin to 6-3 after a bases-loaded hit by pitch. A sacrifice fly and a groundout made it 6-5, and then a two-out, two-strike wild pitch brought home Cole McConnell with the tying run.

In the eighth, Louisiana Tech again struck with two outs. Taylor Young doubled and came around to score on a Philip Matulia RBI single, then McConnell followed with a two-run homer for the game's final margin.
 
The rally spoiled a brilliant debut start from Wichita State lefty Payton Tolle, who allowed just one run over six innings, striking out one and walking four. The WSU offense staked him to a lead early, scratching across three first inning runs. RBI groundouts from Garrett Kocis and Xavier Casserilla sandwiched around a wild pitch from Louisiana Tech starter Ryan Jennings gave the Shockers a 3-0 lead, which they would add to in the seventh. With two outs and the bases empty, Seth Stroh beat out a grounder to second for an infield single. Jack Sigrist worked a walk, and Brock Rodden followed by grounding an RBI double down the left field line. Sawyre Thornhill capped the rally with a two-run single to center, extending the lead to 6-1.
 
Bulldogs reliever Kyle Crigger (1-0) earned the win, flipping two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, while Shocker reliever Nate Adler (0-1) was saddled with the loss in his Shocker debut. Newcomers Grayson Jones and Jace Miner also made their first appearances in the black and yellow.

San Diego State 4, Houston 1 - Box Score
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Houston Baseball pushed across two runs in the ninth but stranded the tying run at second as its late rally fell short in a 4-3 loss to San Diego State on Saturday night from the MLB4 Tournament at Salt River Fields.
 
Trailing by three in the ninth, shortstop Ian McMillan and right fielder Samuel Benjamin connected on consecutive singles. Two batters later, center fielder Brandon Uhse drove a two-run double into left center. He would be stranded there on a game-ending fly out.
 
The Cougars (0-2) applied the pressure in eighth, as well, putting two in scoring position with no outs only to see San Diego State (1-1) reliever Jason Bercovich strike out three consecutive Houston batters to eliminate the threat.
 
Houston broke a scoreless tie in the fifth thanks to a one-out, RBI-triple from Benjamin but the Aztecs sent eight batters to the plate in the home half, scoring three times on as many hits. The triple was the first collegiately for Benjamin, who finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
 
With the game tied at one in the fifth, San Diego State catcher Poncho Ruiz grounded into what appeared to be an inning-ending double play but it was deemed the throw pulled Houston first baseman Hernandez off the bag, scoring second baseman Alex Rodriguez.
 
Houston put two aboard in the fourth as Alex Lopez walked and Zach Arnold reached on an error but San Diego State starter Kelena Sauer buckled down against the heart of the order, striking out Ryan Hernandez and Anthony Tulimero.  
 
Sauer went 5.0 innings, allowing three hits and one run while walking a pair and striking out six. Bercovich earned his first save, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out four in the final 2.0 innings.
 
Cougar starter Logan Clayton (0-1) tossed 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and three runs while striking out six and issuing two walks. San Diego State put runners aboard in each of the first four innings to no avail, helped by a pair of runners cut down by Tulimero.