South Florida earned a shutout and Houston won its sixth game in a row in American Athletic Conference baseball action on Friday, March 4.

Friday, March 4
Wichita State 6, Iowa 4 - Box Score
East Carolina 5, Indiana State 4 - Box Score
South Florida 3, Brown 0 - Box Score
Houston 5, Incarnate Word 2 - Box Score
Cincinnati 5, Northwestern 4 (Game 1) - Box Score
Northwestern 10, Cincinnati 8 (Game 2) - Box Score
Nicholls 14, Memphis 8 - Box Score
Ole Miss 8, UCF 7 - Box Score
Mississippi State 19, Tulane 2 - Box Score

Wichita State 6, Iowa 4 - Box Score
FRISCO, Texas – Despite being held without a hit for the first five innings, Wichita State surged past Iowa with six unanswered runs for a 6-4 win on Friday afternoon at Riders Field.

The Shockers improved to 12-0 all-time against the Hawkeyes.
 
Iowa starter Adam Mazur was dominant through the first five frames, allowing just one baserunner on a first inning walk. With Iowa leading 4-0 into the sixth, the Wichita State offense came alive. Four consecutive one-out singles got the Shockers on the board, with Sawyre Thornhill capping the barrage with a run-scoring base hit into right. After a fielder's choice produced an out at the plate, Payton Tolle slammed an opposite-field, three-run double off the wall in left to tie the game at 4-4 and end Mazur's day.

The Shockers (3-7) grabbed their first lead in the top of the eighth. With one out, Brock Rodden lined a triple to the gap in right-center. Thornhill followed by rolling an RBI single through the drawn-in infield, putting WSU in front by the score of 5-4. Thornhill stole second and moved to third on an infield single from Tolle, then scored when Chuck Ingram lined an RBI single back through the middle.

Cameron Bye (1-0) kept the lead at 6-4 with a career-best 2.2 scoreless innings and five strikeouts, handing the ball off to Connor Holden in the ninth. Holden picked up a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around two Iowa singles, then hit Peyton Williams to load the bases with two outs. Facing three-hole hitter Keaton Anthony, the Shocker closer induced a fly ball to Ingram in center that ended the game and secured Holden's third save.

Tolle, Rodden, Thornhill, and Jack Sigrist all recorded two hits for Wichita State. Iowa (5-4) scored their runs with two in the first and two more in the third, the latter of which included a Williams leadoff solo homer. Will Christophersen (0-1) took the loss for Iowa, charged with both runs in the top of the eighth. 

East Carolina 5, Indiana State 4 - Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina scored three runs in the middle innings, which were highlighted by RBI bunt singles by Ryder Giles and Zach Agnos, as the Pirates defeated Indiana State Friday during the 19th Annual Keith LeClair Classic at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Pirates improve to 4-5 while the Sycamores fall to 5-3.
 
With the game tied at three-all going to the bottom of the sixth inning, ECU scored a pair of runs on bunt singles taking a 5-3 lead. Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, who tallied his third consecutive multi-hit game, reached on an infield single to short to start the frame. Two batters later he moved to third on Carter Cunningham's single down the right field line and scored on Giles' bunt single. With two outs, Moylan drew the first of his two walks loading the bases for Agnos, who dropped a bunt down the first base line plating Cunningham for the would-be game-winning run.
 
C.J. Mayhue (2-0) picked up the win in relief allowing one run (earned) on one hits with a pair of walks and one strikeout in 1.2 innings. Skylar Brooks notched his second save of the season tossing two scoreless frames where he allowed one hit and struck out four, including the side in the ninth stanza. Carter Spivey (1.0 IP, 1 H) and Garrett Saylor (1.1 IP, 1 H, 4 Ks) bridged the gap from Kuchmaner to Mayhue.
 
Matt Jachec (2-1) took the loss after giving up all five runs (four earned) on eight hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts over 5.2 frames. Joey Hurth worked a scoreless 2.1 innings in relief with a hit, one walk and three punch outs.

South Florida 3, Brown 0 - Box Score
TAMPA (March 4, 2022) – Redshirt sophomore Jack Jasiak matched a career high with 12 strikeouts Friday night in a 3-0 victory for the University of South Florida (6-3) over Brown University (1-3) at USF Baseball Stadium.

Hunter Mink did not allow a hit in relief over the final two innings to secure his second save of the season and struck out four Brown Bears.

Jasiak (1-0) set the tone with immaculate inning – nine pitches for three strikeouts – in the top of the first and was in command from there. The only blip was a leadoff triple for the Bears in the fourth frame, followed by a walk two batters later, but Jasiak escaped the jam.

The right-handed allowed just three baserunners (two hits and one walk) over 7.0 IP in his third quality start in as many outings this season.

A sacrifice fly by Joaquin Monque staked Jasiak to a 1-0 lead in the second inning, which was more than enough, but the South Florida offense tacked on two more insurance runs in the fifth.

Carmine Lane launched his team-leading third home run to left in the fifth frame and Nelson Rivera added a two-out RBI-single.

Houston 5, Incarnate Word 2 - Box Score
HOUSTON – Houston Baseball used timely hitting, highlighted by a three-run sixth inning, and showcased its speed on the bases in route to a sixth consecutive victory, defeating Incarnate Word, 5-2 on Friday night from Sanders Field at Schroeder Park.
 
The six-game win streak, the longest active streak in The American, is Houston's longest since winning as many between March 8-16, 2019. The Cougars (6-3), who entered the game with six stolen bases, swiped five in as many tries against the Cardinals (3-3).
 
With the game tied at two entering the home half of the sixth, Houston strung together four hits and scored three runs, highlighted by two-out RBI-singles from left fielder Brandon Uhse (2-for-5) and third baseman Zach Arnold (1-for-3).
 
Making his first start of the season, right-hander Jaycob Deese was elusive. The junior permitted one run on two hits while walking one and striking out six. The Houston native fanned six of seven batters he faced between the second and third innings.
 
Center fielder Samuel Tormos (1-for-4) rocketed a 396-foot solo home run to start the scoring in the second. The long ball was his first of the season and second of his career.  After Incarnate Word evened things in the fifth, Houston took advantage of a pair of walks and used a Uhse double to set the stage for Alex Lopez's go-ahead, RBI-single.
 
Lopez set a career high, providing three of Houston's 12 hits. Reliever Cameron Prayer (1-0) picked up the victory, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout in 1.0 inning. 
 
Incarnate Word starter Michael Garza (1-1) drew the loss, holding Houston to four runs despite nine hits across 5.2 innings. Houston pitching limiting the Cardinals to 1-for-8 with runners aboard and 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Cincinnati 5, Northwestern 4 (Game 1) - Box Score
Northwestern 10, Cincinnati 8 (Game 2) - Box Score
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The University of Cincinnati baseball team split Friday's doubleheader with Northwestern, winning the first game, 5-4, and dropping the second game, 10-8. The Bearcats are now 4-4 on the year while Northwestern moves to 2-8.

GAME 1
Redshirt junior Griffin Merritt and redshirt sophomore JP Sponseller each collected two extra base hits to help propel the Cincinnati Bearcats over the Northwestern Wildcats, 5-4, on Friday. Graduate student Tristan Weaver (2-1) threw a complete game and got the win for Cincinnati (4-3). The left-hander went seven innings, giving up four runs, all of them earned, on six hits, allowing two walks and striking out six.

Sponseller's two extra base hits were the highlight of a 2-for-3 day, and included a double, his first home run of the year and an RBI. Merritt made his contribution with two doubles and an RBI, part of a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Nicholson also helped out for the Bearcats, putting together one hit in two trips to the plate while adding his fourth home run of the season, a walk and an RBI.

GAME 2
Sophomore Max Bergmann (0-1) took the loss on the mound for Cincinnati (4-4). Redshirt sophomore Ben Vore was a bright spot out of the bullpen, going two shutout innings.

In the batter's box, the Bearcats were led by Nicholson again, who went 2-for-4 in this game with a double, a walk and three RBIs. Merritt had another nice day at the dish as well, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. Redshirt sophomore Cam Scheler also chipped in for Cincinnati, knocking his second homer of the season over the fence.

Nicholls 14, Memphis 8 - Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Despite three-hit efforts from both SS Ben Brooks and 2B Austin Baskin, the Memphis Tigers (5-3) couldn't keep pace with the Nicholls Colonels (6-5) in a 14-8 loss Friday night. The Tigers led by as many as three over the first four innings but were outscored 7-1 over the final three frames.
 
Scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, Baskin hit his first home run of the season, a solo blast off of RH Nico Saltaformaggio (ND). The Colonels immediately answered against RHP Connor Shamblin (ND), as two Memphis errors amidst a stolen base plated SS Parker Coddou and tied the game 1-1.

Memphis responded again with the long ball, as CF Zach Wilson led off the home half of the third with a go-ahead home run that put Memphis in front 2-1. The Tigers pushed the lead to 4-1 in the fourth on an RBI groundout by LF Ian Bibiloni and an RBI double by Wilson.

After Memphis pushed a run across in the home half of the fifth, the Colonels knocked Shamblin out of the game two batters into the sixth, as RF Xane Washington led off with a home run and 1B Alec Paz followed with a walk and eventually scored off of LHP Jacob Gilmore (L, 0-1), as Nicholls led 7-5.

Memphis once again answered in the sixth and took Shamblin off the hook for the loss, as 1B Chris Swanberg reached on an error, Bibiloni walked, and both later scored, the latter on a game-tying single by Brooks off of RHP Chase Gearing (W, 2-0).

Tied 7-7 heading into the seventh inning, the Colonels took the lead with three runs against Gilmore, all on a home run by Paz, which proved to be the game-winning hit

Ole Miss 8, UCF 7 - Box Score
ORLANDO, Fla. – No. 2 Ole Miss (9-0) homered five times on Friday evening to defeat UCF (7-2), 8-7, at John Euliano Park. Ben Vespi was pegged with the loss, allowing two runs and striking out two batters. 
 
UCF opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as Nick Romano doubled down the line in left to score Gephry Pena from first. In the second, Tom Josten added to the lead, 2-0, doubling to right center field to score Lex Boedicker from second.
 
In the top of the fifth, Ole Miss responded to take a 3-2 lead with a three-run blast to right field. UCF responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth, as Romano regained the lead with a three-run home run to left field. Cole Russo singled up the middle to score Ben McCabe from second to increase the lead to 6-3.
 
In the sixth, Ole Miss hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to tie the ballgame, before taking the lead 8-6 in the seventh. UCF loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth before Alex Freeland drew a walk to score Trent Taylor from third. 
 
Riley Maddox picked up the win for the Rebels on Friday, as Brandon Johnson worked the final three innings not allowing a hit to pick up his first save of the season.

Mississippi State 19, Tulane 2 - Box Score
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane University baseball team (8-2) fell 19-2 to #11 Mississippi State University (6-4) on Friday night inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

Mississippi State showed why they are the reigning College World Series champions on Friday, as they cruised to a lopsided win.

Tulane was outhit 17-4 and didn't help themselves in the field, committing four errors. The Green Wave defense has been solid all year up until Friday, committing only three errors on the season so far.

The Green Wave bullpen was busy all night, sending seven members to the hill. The Tulane staff in total threw 227 pitches. The staff had a rare off night early in the season, as the Wave touted a 3.08 ERA into the game.

Junior right-hander Tyler Hoffman got the start for the Green Wave and gave up seven runs, six earned, in 3.2 innings of work. Hoffman worked hard, throwing 90 pitches, as he was hurt by two errors and a few mental errors in the field. 

Junior righty Landon Sims was on the bump for Mississippi State and was utterly dominant. The potential first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft struck out ten of the 11 batters he faced before leaving in the fourth with an apparent hand injury.