University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
Se Missouri St
Tigers Snap Losing Skid; Sweep Double Header With Indians
May 08, 2001 | Baseball
May 8, 2001
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis Tiger baseball team (30-20) swept their double header this afternoon over the Indians of Southeast Missouri State (33-16), winning the first game 2-1 before finishing things off with a 13-3 romp in the second contest. These two wins snap a three-game losing skid for Memphis and also doubles their win total from just one year ago when the Tigers finished a dismal, 15-37.
After a tremendous pitching duel between Matt Krabbe and Greg Lunski, it was Justin Thomas's (Briarcrest HS) solo bomb in the bottom of the seventh that pushed the U of M past SEMO in the first game of a twin-bill, 2-1. Krabbe (2-3) collected his second win of the season and also snapped the Indians eight-game winning streak during a stellar performance which featured four K's and just three hits for SEMO.
Shane Allen singled in the Indians first run of the day in the second, giving SEMO the 1-0 edge. Tyler Shelton would equalize for Memphis during the bottom half of the inning with his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to rightfield which knotted the game at one after two. Solid pitching kept both offenses in check for the remainder of the contest with Krabbe retiring eleven-straight during one stretch. Krabbe went on to shut down the Indians on five straight pitches in the top of the seventh which set the stage for Thomas's heroics in the bottom half of the inning. With one out and the bases empty, Thomas went on to smack his fourth homer of the season over the wall in left-center which ended the game but extended his hitting streak to eight games.
In the second game of the double header, Barrett Smith (White Station HS) connected for his 12th jack of the season and Daniel Uggla hit his 24th and 25th doubles on the season to help the U of M blow past SEMO, 13-3.
Jeff Bourbon singled in a run during the first with a blooper to shallow center, putting the Indians ahead early, 1-0. Uggla's 24th double of the year scored the Tigers first run of game and then one batter later, Smith drove in Uggla from second with an RBI single through the middle of the infield which gave Memphis the 2-1 lead early on. SEMO threatened again in the second when Brad Beatty hit a two-out single to shallow right but Josh Payne scooped up the ball on a bounce and nailed Brian Hopkins at the plate for the final out of the inning. In the bottom half of the second, Memphis pushed three more runs across and took a 5-1 lead after the Indians committed two errors in the inning. The score remained the same until the bottom of the fourth when Memphis scored seven runs on five hits to assume a 12-1 lead with four RBI resulting from Uggla's two-run double which was immediately followed by a two-run single from Smith. The Tigers then produced another run with Smith's homer while the Indians rallied for two more late in the game but the U of M held on for the sweep.
SEMO actually outhit the U of M 11-9 but they just couldn't bring them around, stranding a total of 11 baserunners. Nick Rogers (4-0) picked up his fourth win of the year and pitched four solid innings, surrending just one hit after facing 19 SEMO batters. Unfortunately for Thomas however, his hitting streak stopped at eight games after going 0-for-4 at the plate during game two.
Memphis will now travel to Jonesboro, Ark. tomorrow, Wednesday, May 9th for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Indians once again, but this time against Arkansas State. The game will be played at Tomlinson Stadium on the ASU campus.
