Memphis Wins One and Loses One on Friday

Friday, February 13

Miami, Fla.

3:30 PM

University of Memphis

2-4

Florida International

5-2

Memphis

Florida Intl.

Feb 13, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 13, 2015

Box Score v LIU

Box Score v FIU

Box Score v. LIU (PDF) 

Box Score v. FIU (PDF) 

MIAMI, Fla. - Memphis defeated LIU Brooklyn and fell to Florida International in the first day of the FIU Invitational at FIU Softball Stadium on Friday.

After the first day of action, the Tigers are now 2-4, while it's the Blackbirds dropped to 1-6 and FIU to 5-2 with another game to go in the evening.

In the first game, Brooke Lee and Cierra Mangum each hit two-run home runs as the Tigers beat the Blackbirds 8-5.

The Tigers batted around in the first inning, picking up six runs on five hits.

Kyler Trosclair and Hannah Harrell got it started with back-to-back infield hits, one of six Trosclair would hit on the day. Right away Memphis had runners on first and second base. Mangum walked to load the bases before Long Island got the first out of the inning.

Katie Brignac walked in the first run, and then Lindsay Crowdus got her first hit of the season with a double off of the center field wall, scoring two. Brignac tried to score from first, but was thrown out at the plate.

That brought up Lee, who took a 2-0 pitch and drove it over the left field wall for her first career home run.

Jordan Richwood was in the circle and picked up her first win of the season. She threw 4.1 innings, giving up only two hits and two runs, only one earned. She struck out four while throwing 66 pitches.

She set the Blackbirds down in order in the first, bringing Trosclair up to lead off the second as well. She got on with another infield base hit, and after Harrell got out, Mangum matched Lee's RBI output with a two-run home run to left of her own, making it 8-0. That was all the scoring Memphis would have, but it was also all they needed.

Richwood continued putting Blackbirds down until the fifth, when Molly Smith came in. Despite a couple of walks, she had LIU down to its last out with the bases loaded, but an error allowed two to score and the game would continue.

In the bottom of the seventh, Smith got the first batter to fly out to left. A hit batter and then single gave the Blackbirds two runners before Harrell caught another fly ball to put two down. Then LIU hit a two-RBI double to make it 8-4. Richwood reentered the game to try to finish it out, and the first batter she faced hit a two-run RBI and Memphis' lead was down to 2. But she settled down and got the last batter to pop up to Lee to end the game.

In the afternoon game of the first day, the Tigers battled back before losing a close one 3-2.

The Panthers were the first on the board, grabbing a pair of runs in the second inning. Memphis threatened in the first, getting two hits, but unable to drive anyone in. The Tigers didn't struggle hit hits against FIU, outhitting the opponents 8-6, but Memphis struggled to capitalize on them.

However, trailing 2-0 in the fourth, the Tigers struck. Mangum had a one out double to left. Lee moved her to third and reached first safely because of an error by the first baseman. Haleigh Ross stepped up for the Tigers and hit a single through the left side, scoring Mangum and making it 2-1. Lee tried to make it to third on the play, but was thrown out.

The Tigers would threaten again in the fifth. Sami Jo Schulz led off the inning with a single to left field. After a strikeout, Trosclair had another infield hit, and then Harrell grounded out, moving the runners over to second and third. That brought Crowdus up, who drilled a hot shot back up the middle and off of the pitcher's shin. Crowdus was able to make it safely to first, and Schulz scored to tie it up.

Mangum came to the plate with a chance to give the Tigers the lead, but Crowdus was judged to have left the bag early when she attempted to steal second, which brought the half-inning to a close.

Neither team would get anything out of their next at bats, but the Panthers struck back in the sixth. Calli Irvin induced a fly out with the first at bat off the inning, but then the Krystal Garcia tripled to put FIU in position. It originally looked like a double at best, but took a weird hop off of the wall in center, allowing her to make it to third.

The pitcher Shelby Graves stepped in and lined a pitch into left field to score the go-ahead run. Memphis had one last chance in the seventh, but was unable to get any runners on base as FIU took the win.

Brignac and Irvin split the time in the circle, each throwing three innings. Brignac got the starting nod and gave up only three hits and allowed two runs while striking out one. Irvin also gave up three hits, but took the loss with her one run. She too struck out a batter and threw one less pitch than Brignac with 52.

Graves went the distance for FIU, allowing eight hits and two runs while striking out only one Tiger batter.

Memphis returns to action Saturday morning for day two of the FIU Invitational. They'll start in the morning with a game against Purdue at 10 a.m. central, before attempting to get revenge in a rematch against FIU at 3:00 p.m.

Follow the University of Memphis Tigers softball team on Facebook, Twiiter and Instagram @MemphisSoftball for more information, scores and graphics about the program.