From Conference USA release:
It was quite a week for the East Carolina Pirates. After opening a five-game schedule with a wild 20-13 win at Old Dominion, ECU picked up a road win at Virginia Commonwealth and then returned home for the annual Keith LeClair Classic. Bad weather forced Friday’s games to be cancelled, setting up a Saturday doubleheader. The Pirates responded, defeating Pittsburgh in the first game and then knocking off No. 15 Michigan, 6-5, in the second game. On Sunday, ECU downed an always-tough Georgia Southern team, 9-3, to capture the tournament title. Brandon Henderson batted .556 (5-for-9) in the tournament, while Ryan Wood extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
UCF improved to 11-1 on the season by sweeping Monmouth over the weekend, including a 16-inning affair on Sunday, the fourth-longest game in Conference USA history. At 11-1, the Knights are tied for the fifth-best start in league annals, three away from Tulane’s record-setting 14-1 start in 2005. The three-game sweep was UCF’s third of the season, something the program had not accomplished since 2004.
Houston took two-of-three from Cal Santa Barbara at Cougar Field to move to 8-5 on the season. Wes Musick set the tone for the series victory on Friday night with his third straight strong outing on the mound in a 4-1 victory. After a Saturday loss, UH bounced back on Sunday with a 4-2 victory as freshman lefthander Ty Stuckey earned his first career win.
Memphis had its first road challenge of the young season, playing three at SEC foe Georgia. The Bulldogs got the best of the Tigers the first two days, posting a pair of convincing wins. On Sunday, it looked dim for Memphis, down 6-3 with two outs in the eighth inning. But, the Tigers scored then scored four runs, with Brett Bowen capping the comeback by driving in the winning run.
Rice had a tough start to its weekend tournament, dropping a 9-3 decision to Michigan State that extended its losing streak to three games. The Owls rebounded with a pair of one-run wins over Western Carolina and Creighton to raise its record to 8-5.
Tulane was the opposite of Rice, having a great start to its three-game series with No. 13 UC Irvine only to fall in the final two games. Shooter Hunt was brilliant on the bump for the Green Wave in the opener, no-hitting the Anteaters for six innings and eventually allowing just two hits, while striking out 11. Tulane’s offense struggled in the next two games, as UCI posted 7-3 and 5-1 victories.
UAB made its way to the south Pacific for a three-game series against Hawaii-Hilo. The teams split a Saturday doubleheader and the Blazers won the series on Sunday with an 11-3 win. Southern Miss had a tough trip to California, dropping all three games at No. 26 Cal State Fullerton. Marshall saw its entire series against Marist wiped out due to snow.
