Tulane Edges East Carolina In AAC Title Game

Sunday, May 28

Clearwater, Fla.

Noon

East Carolina University

45-17

Tulane

19-40

Tulane

East Carolina

May 28, 2023 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

CLEARWATER, Fla. – No. 15 East Carolina dropped an 8-6 decision to Tulane Sunday afternoon in the title game of the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at BayCare Ballpark.

ECU (45-17) was the first team in tournament history to reach the championship bout after dropping its opening contest but ran out of gas against the seventh-seeded Green Wave (19-40).

Dylan Carmouche, (5-8) who pitched a complete game on Thursday, earned the win with one run allowed in 3.0 innings of relief. Ricky Castro was inserted in the ninth inning and earned his first save of the season. Zach Root (3-3) took the loss for the Pirates.

Tulane sprinted out of the gate offensively, putting up three runs in the top of the first. Teo Banks and Brady Marget singled with one out before Simon Baumgardt reached on an error that allowed Banks to score from second. Brennan Lambert followed with a two-run double that snuck inside the left field line to leave the Green Wave ahead 3-0 moving to the home half of the frame.

East Carolina answered in a big way in the bottom of the first as Jacob Starling, Carter Cunningham and Cam Clonch all drew walks to load the bases with one out. Following a strikeout, Justin Wilcoxen ripped a single to left field to plate both Starling and Cunningham before an error at short resulted in Clonch racing home to knot the score at three. A wild pitch with two away provided the final run of the inning in the form of Wilcoxen as the Pirates entered the second frame in front 4-3.

Cunningham drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the second and ECU cashed in with a Josh Moylan double that made it a 5-3 contest. The Green Wave grabbed the lead back in the top of the fifth with a three spot, scoring on a wild pitch as well as a Banks RBI single and Baumgardt run-scoring groundout.

Starling drew the Pirates within one run at 7-6 with a RBI single in the eighth, but Marget tallied one of his own in the ninth to close the scoring.

Up Next: East Carolina will find out its postseason destination and regional opponents Monday at Noon when the NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Show airs on ESPN2.

2023 AAC Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team
Danny Beal, P, East Carolina
Carter Cunningham, OF, East Carolina
Josh Moylan, 1B, East Carolina
Jacob Starling, 2B, East Carolina
Justin Murray, 1B, Houston
Brandon Uhse, OF, Houston
Ben Rozenblum, C, South Florida
Teo Banks, OF, Tulane – Most Outstanding Player
Dylan Carmouche, P, Tulane
Brennan Lambert, DH, Tulane
Gavin Schulz, SS, Tulane