Toscano's Gem Lifts Memphis to First Win

Saturday, February 14

Tulsa, Okla.

2:45 PM

University of Memphis

1-2

Oral Roberts

2-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Memphis	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	0	2	6	13	0
Oral Roberts	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	6	2

Feb 14, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 14, 2015

Box Score

Box_Score 

Play-By-Play 

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Memphis baseball team earned its first win of the season on Saturday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa with its 6-1 victory over Oral Roberts. The Tigers improve to 1-2 on the young season while the Golden Eagles fall to 2-1. Head Coach Daron Schoenrock picked up his 299th-career victory with the win and will look to earn number 300 against Eastern Illinois next weekend.

The Memphis pitching staff combined to six-hit Oral Roberts in Sunday’s finale. Senior Dylan Toscano (1-0) earned the victory, going 6.0 innings while surrendering one hit and one walk and striking out five. Sophomore Nolan Blackwood earned a difficult four-out save for his first of the season.

The Tigers broke the scoring seal in the top of the third with a two out rally. Sophomore Darian Tubbs pulled an 0-2 pitch into left for a single before senior Carter White ripped a double to the right-center gap to score the speedy Tubbs from first.

Memphis added one-spots in the fourth, fifth and sixth to build a 4-0 advantage. The first of the runs came after Brandon Montgomery reached second on a two-base error after the centerfielder failed to catch his liner up the middle. Junior Jake Overbey singled up the middle to score the freshman from second. In the fifth, sophomore Zach Schritenthal singled through the left side to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Damo DeMatteo. Tubbs roped a double to right field to score Schritenthal. The final of Memphis’ four-straight runs came as a two-out rally. Montgomery legged out a single deep in the hole at short to start the rally. Chris Carrier doubled down the line in left to plate Montgomery easily from first.

Toscano closed his outing by retiring eight in a row and 17-of-19 batters faced before handing the ball off to senior Blake Myers. The bearded right-hander went 1.2 innings before leaving the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth.

Oral Roberts push across its lone run of the afternoon in the bottom of the eighth. After a leadoff walk and back-to-back singles following a fly out, senior Craig Caufield came out of the bullpen looking to close out the frame for the Tigers. Audie Afenir worked a six-pitch walk as the right-hander missed the payoff pitch in the dirt to plate a run. Blackwood came in and induced a weak grounder back to the mound for the final out of the frame.

The Tigers pushed across a pair of insurance runs in the ninth. DeMatteo was hit-by-pitch to lead off the inning before three-straight singles by White, Kane Barrow and Tucker Tubbs plated two runs.

Blackwood surrendered two singles in the ninth, but the Golden Eagles failed to score any runs with the right-handed hurler on the bump.

The Tigers will be back in action next weekend when it travels to Conway, Ark., for a two-game series with Eastern Illinois and a lone game against Central Arkansas. Visit GoTigersGo.com and follow @MemphisBaseball on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news on the team.