UCF and Tulane picked up top-10 wins in American Athletic Conference baseball action on Saturday, March 5.

Saturday, March 5
Tulane 11, No. 9 Mississippi State 10 (10 innings) - Box Score
UCF 1, No. 2 Ole Miss 0 (12 innings) - Box Score
Wichita State 8, Washington State 2 - Box Score
Cincinnati 4, Northwestern 2 (Game 1) - Box Score
Cincinnati 16, Northwestern 5 (Game 2) - Box Score
East Carolina 10, Michigan 8 - Box Score
Nicholls 14, Memphis 9 - Box Score
Brown 9, South Florida 5 - Box Score
Incarnate Word 13, Houston 8 - Box Score

Tulane 11, No. 9 Mississippi State 10 (10 innings) - Box Score
NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University Baseball Team (9-2) won the game of the year so far over No. 9 Mississippi State (6-5) by a score of 11-10 on Saturday afternoon inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. 
 
Tulane came roaring back from a 10-2 deficit to tie the game in the ninth on a two-run sacrifice-fly, before Ethan Groff ripped a walk-off bomb off the scoreboard to capture game two.
 
After losing 19-2 yesterday, Tulane is now in position to take the series from the Bulldogs with a win tomorrow. This was the biggest comeback for the Wave since April 13, 2018 against Houston.
 
Sophomore south paw Dylan Carmouche took the ball for Travis Jewett and pitched four innings, allowing ten runs, nine earned, on nine hits and four walks while striking out three. Just last year Carmouche pitched 7.1 innings for Mississippi State as a freshman before transferring to Tulane. Carmouche's outing was uncharacteristic of his early Tulane career. The lefty recorded a 0.69 ERA in his first two Green Wave starts.
 
Junior right-hander Preston Johnson got the start for Mississippi State and went six strong. Johnson allowed three earned runs on six hits and struck out nine.

UCF 1, No. 2 Ole Miss 0 (12 innings) - Box Score
ORLANDO, Fla. – Connor Staine and Chase Centala combined to pitch a three-hit, 12-inning shut out to even the series on Saturday against No. 2 Ole Miss at a game apiece. UCF (8-2) defeated No. 2 Ole Miss (9-1) 1-0, to hand the Rebels their first loss of the season. 
 
Staine worked seven innings of two-hit baseball, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth. He punched out a career-high 10 batters and posted a career-high in innings, to be pegged with the no-decision Saturday. 
 
Chase Centala picked up where Staine left off in the eighth, striking out the side. Centala would allow one hit over the next five innings of work, fanning six Ole Miss batters to shut the door and keep No. 2 Ole Miss off the score board.
 
In the bottom of the 12th, Gephry Pena led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. Nick Romano attempted to bunt Pena to second, but Romano was able to draw a five pitch walk to put runners on first and second with no outs.
 
Ben McCabe executed a perfect sacrifice bunt down the third base line with two-strikes to advance the runners to second and third. With the Ole Miss infield in, Riley Wash lined a 1-1 pitch back up the middle to score Gephry Pena from third and walk off Ole Miss.

Wichita State 8, Washington State 2 - Box Score
FRISCO, Texas – Wichita State scored twice in the top of the second and never looked back, rolling to an 8-2 win over Washington State on day two of the Frisco Classic.
 
Payton Tolle (2-0) was masterful for a third straight outing to open his collegiate career, allowing just one run over seven strong innings to secure the win. He surrendered six hits and two walks while striking out four. The freshman lefty has now allowed just two earned runs through his first 19.1 innings.

The Shockers (4-7) supported Tolle with an early crooked number in the second. After a pair of walks followed by a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out, Ross Cadena lined a two-run single into left to give Wichita State a 2-0 advantage. 

Two more runs crossed for Wichita State in the fourth. Cadena battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a bases-loaded walk, and Andrew Stewart made it 4-0 with a fielder's choice grounder to shortstop.

The Cougars (7-4) got their lone run against Tolle in the bottom of the fourth when Collin Montez lifted a solo home run to right, slicing the Wichita State lead to 4-1.

The Shockers got the run back in the sixth thanks to some sloppy Washington State defense. With one out, Couper Cornblum reached on an infield single. He stole second and moved to third on a throwing error from Cougars catcher Jake Meyer. After a strikeout, Meyer attempted to pick Cornblum off third, throwing the ball into left field to make it 5-1 Shockers.

Justin Van De Brake connected for Washington State's second solo homer with a blast to left in the eighth that pulled the Cougars within 5-2, but LJ McDonough recovered to strike out the side. The Shockers offense then blew the game open in the top of the ninth, scoring three times on a Xavier Casserilla bases-loaded hit by pitch and a two-run single off the bat of Chuck Ingram that ballooned the lead to 8-2. 

Cincinnati 4, Northwestern 2 (Game 1) - Box Score
Cincinnati 16, Northwestern 5 (Game 2) - Box Score
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The University of Cincinnati baseball team swept Northwestern in Saturday's doubleheader, taking the series, 3-1. Sophomore outfielder Cole Harting launched a two-run walk-off home run to right in game one, and redshirt sophomore JP Sponseller hit three homers in game two to lead the Bearcats to victory.

The sweep improves UC's record to 6-4 while Northwestern falls to 2-10.

GAME 1
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Cincinnati Bearcats secured a win in walk-off fashion, rallying to score two in the bottom of the seventh after Northwestern tied it up in the top half, sealing the victory on Harting's two-run home run off of senior Michael Farinelli to take down the Wildcats, 4-2, Saturday.

Graduate transfer pitcher Ryan Steckline (1-0) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Cincinnati (5-4). The left-hander went 0.1 shutout innings without giving up a hit, allowing no walks and striking out one. It was freshman pitcher Garrett Harker who impressed on the mound all game though, starting the ballgame and throwing 6.2 innings, giving up two runs, all earned, on six hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. This was his second career start.

Harting's homer was his only hit of the game, going 1-for-4 in the ballgame with a home run and two RBIs. Redshirt sophomore infielder Ryan Nicholson put together a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Redshirt senior Dondrae Bremner also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a double.

GAME 2 
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- JP Sponseller put together an outstanding showing at the plate Saturday, hitting three homers to help power the Cincinnati Bearcats past the Northwestern Wildcats, 16-5.

In his first career start, sophomore pitcher Conner Linn (1-0) picked up the win for Cincinnati (6-4). The left-hander went 6.1 innings, giving up three runs, all of them earned, on six hits, allowing three walks while striking out two.

Sponseller went 3-for-5 at the plate, supplementing his three home runs with seven RBIs. Redshirt junior Griffin Merritt added to Sponseller's amazing power-hitting performance by going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs along with one walk. Scheler also helped out for the Bearcats, going 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and two RBIs.

East Carolina 10, Michigan 8 - Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Zach Agnos, Alec Makarewicz and Josh Moylan each hit home runs as East Carolina held off a late Michigan rally for a 10-8 win Saturday during second round action at the 19th Annual Keith LeClair Classic at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win, the Pirates improve to 5-5 on the season while the Wolverines drop to 7-4.
 
Makarewicz and Agnos each hit two-run homers with two outs in the seventh inning extending the Pirates' lead to a then six runs,9-3. Bryson Worrell reached on an error, took second and third on a pair of ground outs before Makarewicz ended a nine-pitch at-bat with a laser down the right field line. Carter Cunningham followed with a double to right-center and came around to score on Agnos' first home run of the season.
 
With the Pirates up 10-3, Michigan plated five runs in the ninth highlighted by Titi Flores' grand slam to straight away center field making it a two-run game, 10-8. Joe Stewart reached on an infield single with one out, which was followed by Ted Burton's base knock to right center. Matt Frey plated Stewart with a single up the middle before Jimmy Obertop loaded the bases with a walk. After a Pirate pitching change, that brought C.J. Mayhue in, Flores took a 3-1 offering deep to center field. Nick Logusch came in and gave up a double to Clark Elliot before he struck out the next two batters securing the win.
 
Josh Grosz (2-0) earned the win tossing three innings where he allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts in a pre-determined start. Logusch notched his first save of the season and first career with the Pirates working two-thirds of an inning with a pair of punch outs. ECU also got relief outings from Ben Terwilliger (0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 BBs), Carter Spivey (1.1 IP, 2 Hs, 2 Ks), Garrett Saylor (2.1 IP, 1 H, 3 Ks), Bradley Wilson (1.0 IP, 3 Hs, 4 Rs, 2 Ks) and Mayhue (0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R).
 
Connor O'Halloran (0-2) took the loss surrendering five runs (three earned) on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts in six full frames. Chase Allen was touched for five runs (one earned) on five hits in two relief innings.

Nicholls 14, Memphis 9 - Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With three home runs and nine total runs over the final three innings Saturday, the Memphis Tigers (5-4) were able to get the tying run into the on-deck circle in the ninth inning but couldn't go any further in a 14-9 loss to the Nicholls Colonels (7-5). CF Zach Wilson homered for the second consecutive day, while RF Blake Daniels and 3B Logan Kohler each tallied a home run in the loss as well.
 
Nicholls couldn't have gotten off to a better start, as the first four Colonels that faced Fowler in the opening frame reached base and eventually scored. Fowler settled in and allowed just one more run, as he was charged with five runs over 4.2 innings in the loss.

The Colonels busted the game open in the sixth, as four singles, a walk, and a HBP led to a three-run frame and an 8-0 lead.

Brown 9, South Florida 5 - Box Score
TAMPA – The University of South Florida Bulls (6-4) dropped game two of a three-game series to Brown University (2-3) on Saturday night at USF Baseball Stadium, 9-5.

South Florida trailed 7-0 before plating its first run in the fifth inning. An RBI-double by Ben Rozenblum made it a 7-2 affair in the bottom of the sixth before Brown tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning.

The Bulls answered in the bottom of the seventh on a pinch-hit two-run double by freshman Sonny Rao. USF was able to scratch across one more run in the eighth on an RBI-single by Marcus Brodil, but couldn't close the gap any further.

Rozenblum went 2-for-5 with a run scored in the setback. Tanner Mink, Caleb Pundsack and Ethan Brown combined for 3.2 IP of scoreless relief out of the bullpen with seven strikeouts.

Brad Lord was charged with his first loss of the season in the start. Lord (2-1) allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out six over 3.0 IP.

Incarnate Word 13, Houston 8 - Box Score
HOUSTON – Incarnate Word used a five-run sixth inning, breaking open a back-and-forth affair to even the three-game series with a 13-8 win against Houston on Saturday night from Sanders Field at Schroeder Park.
 
The result snapped a six-game Houston (6-4) win streak. Incarnate Word (4-3) scored five runs in the first inning only to see the Cougars climb back within one by the end of the second thanks in part to three Ryan Hernandez RBIs in the first two frames.
 
Houston starter Logan Clayton (0-2) lasted 2.0 innings, allowing seven hits and six runs alongside one walk and one strikeout. Incarnated Word clubbed three home runs including one from cleanup hitter Roberto Gonzalez who finished a triple shy of the cycle.
 
Houston's top-three in the order finished 8-for-13 with seven RBIs and six runs. In the ninth, pinch hitter Cameron Nickens struck his first collegiate home run. 
 
The Cougars used eight pitchers including Colby Casey who tossed 1.2 scoreless frames and Taylor Parrett, who tossed 1.0 scoreless alongside two strikeouts in his Houston debut. Malachi Lott, who also went 1-for-2 at the plate, tossed 2.0 scoreless frames.
 
After Incarnate Word pushed its lead to 8-5, the Cougars clawed back with two runs in the home half of the fourth courtesy of a Brandon Uhse RBI-double and Zach Arnold RBI-single. The Cardinals sent all nine batters to the plate in the sixth, plating five runs.