South Florida matched its season high in runs in American Athletic Conference baseball action on Friday, April 7.

Friday, April 7
East Carolina 3, UCF 2 (12 innings) - Box Score
South Florida 15, Tulane 3 (7 innings) - Box Score
Houston 8, Wichita State 6 (Game 1) - Box Score
Wichita State 6, Houston 1 (Game 2) - Box Score
Memphis 6, Cincinnati 2 - Box Score

East Carolina 3, UCF 2 (12 innings) - Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. – With the chance to sweep its fifth weekend opponent of the season and first in American Athletic Conference play, No. 12 East Carolina did just that as Justin Wilcoxen's walkoff single in the bottom of the 12th inning lifted the Purple and Gold to a 3-2 victory over UCF Friday afternoon and evening at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
 
The Pirates (24-8, 4-2 AAC) recorded their 12th series sweep of an American Conference opponent since 2019 while the Knights (17-15, 1-5 AAC) dropped their second-straight series of the campaign.
 
In a contest that featured an hour and twenty-minute rain delay, the teams combined to leave 29 runners on base and struck out 29 times. ECU got through the game using just three pitchers, backed by a quality start out of Josh Grosz who did not factor into the decision.
 
Landon Ginn (2-0) was excellent after the delay, earning his second win of the season after tossing 2.2 innings and recording five strikeouts. Nick Viera (0-1) was the losing pitcher as he surrendered the winning run in the 12th. He walked three and struck out a trio of batters in 2.2 frames.
 
Lane Hoover and Josh Moylan rapped out a pair of hits apiece while Ben McCabe led the visitors with a three base knocks, a run scored and one driven in.
 
UCF threatened early in the contest, getting runners to the corners in the top of the first with one out via a fielding error and McCabe single. However, Grosz was able to work out of the jam by striking out Andrew Sundean and inducing an inning-ending fly ball to right.
 
With Ginn producing zeros on the mound in the extra frames, he afforded the Pirates the chance for the walkoff win in the home half of the 12th. Hoover drew a walk on a full count to lead things off and advanced to second on a Cunningham sac bunt. Moylan was intentionally walked before Starling was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Following a strikeout, Wilcoxen stepped up and fouled off the first two pitches he saw but connected on the next one and belted it over Josten's glove in left field to score Hoover for the win.

South Florida 15, Tulane 3 (7 innings) - Box Score
TAMPA – The offense exploded on Friday night for the University of South Florida (13-18, 3-2 American) in a 15-3 run-rule victory over Tulane University (9-22, 3-2) as the Bulls bounced back in a big way after dropping the series opener to the Green Wave on Thursday night at USF Baseball Stadium.

South Florida matched a season high with 15 runs while every Bull in the starting lineup on Friday either scored a run or drove in a run.

Daniel Cantu went 1-for-2 with a home run, walk, HBP, three RBI and four runs scored. Cantu's two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning erased a 1-0 Tulane lead and USF immediately broke the game open with seven runs in the second inning.

On the mound, Hunter Mink turned in his fourth consecutive quality start. H. Mink allowed one run on four hits with two walks and matched a career high with eight strikeouts. The righthander leads the pitching staff in wins (6) and quality starts (5).

John Montes and Cantu were each hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second to start the scoring barrage as USF sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning. Eric Snow and Bobby Boser both recorded two-run singles in the frame, while Marcus Brodil drew a bases-loaded walk to cap the seven-run rally and make it a 9-1 ballgame.

Chandler Welch took the loss for the Green Wave and fell to 2-3 on the season.

Houston 8, Wichita State 6 (Game 1) - Box Score
Wichita State 6, Houston 1 (Game 2) - Box Score
WICHITA, Kan. -- Clark Candiotti struck out 11 over 6.2 scoreless innings, helping Wichita State split their doubleheader with Houston via a 6-1 victory on Friday night at Eck Stadium. The Cougars took game one of the twin-bill, 8-6.

Game 1
The Shockers (18-12, 3-2 American) rallied from a pair of multi-run deficits, but Houston (16-15, 3-2) scored three times in the top of the eighth to seize control. Brandon Burckel broke a 5-5 tie with an RBI single and Ian McMillan followed with a two-run homer for an 8-5 lead that proved to be the difference.

Wichita State had an opportunity to answer back in the bottom of the eighth when the Shockers loaded the bases with nobody out, but could muster only one run on a sacrifice fly as Houston closer Justin Murray slammed the door for his fourth save.

Houston took a 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second, but Brock Rodden brought the Shockers level with a two-run homer to center against Cougars starter Josh Ekness. The Cougars retook the lead with two in the fourth and one in the fifth, but Kyte McDonald pulled WSU even once again at 5-5 with a game-tying, three-run homer off reliever Jose Torrealba (2-2).

Nate Snead (0-1) took the loss for Wichita State despite four strikeouts and allowing just one baserunner in 1.2 innings.

Payton Tolle finished with a no-decision for the Shockers, allowing three earned runs in 5.2 innings with four strikeouts. Matt Wilkinson turned in a 1-2-3 top of the ninth out of the Shocker bullpen.

Game 2
Candiotti dazzled in the nightcap, setting a new career high in strikeouts while matching his career best in innings pitched. The right-hander had a string of seven consecutive strikeouts from the fifth through the seventh, the longest recorded stretch of consecutive strikeouts in the Shocker record book. His biggest pitches came when Houston loaded the bases with one out in the fifth; Candiotti responded by fanning the three and four-hole hitters for the Cougars to escape the threat.

All told, Candiotti (4-2) allowed just three hits and two walks to go along with his 11 strikeouts. He exited with two on and two out in the seventh, after which Jace Miner escaped the jam by inducing a fly out to center.

The Shockers gave Candiotti all the support he needed with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the second. Jaden Gustafson hammered a two-out, two-run triple to deep left-center for a 2-0 lead against Houston starter Paul Schmitz (1-3). Wichita State tacked on a pair of two-run innings in the seventh and eighth, as Chuck Ingram singled home a run and Payton Tolle added a sacrifice fly. Another sac fly from Jack Little combined with a Houston error produced the final margin.

Memphis 6, Cincinnati 2 - Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis baseball team evened its series with Cincinnati, winning 6-2, on Friday night at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field. Senior lefty Dalton Fowler hurled a gem and earned the win, going seven shutout innings and allowing just two hits and one walk while matching a career high with 13 strikeouts.
 
With the victory, Memphis improved to 17-15 (2-3 American) on the season. The Bearcats fell to 13-19 (2-3) on the year with the loss.
 
After zeroes on the board from both teams the first 4.5 innings, Anthony Hansen put the Tigers on the board in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run single to left-center field. Will Spears added a pair of runs with a two-out, two-run single up the middle.

In the sixth, Cameron Benson tripled off the right-center field wall and scored Shane Cox from first base. Hansen notched his third RBI of the day when he drove in Benson from third on a sac-fly to left field, making the score 6-0.

The Bearcats broke up the shutout in the ninth inning when Ryan Nicholson connected with a 2-2 pitch and sent it over the right-field wall to cut into Memphis' lead. Jake Curtis entered to pitch and recorded the final three outs to clinch the 6-2 win.