Tigers Drop SIU Series After Five-Run Fourth Inning

Saturday, March 26

Carbondale, Ill.

2:00 PM

University of Memphis

9-14

Southern Illinois

14-8-1

Memphis

Southern Illinois

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Tigers Drop SIU Series After Five-Run Fourth Inning

Mar 26, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Memphis will play its next six games at home

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Memphis took an early lead on two runs in the second before Southern Illinois scored five runs in the fourth inning to win 11-5 and take the series over the Tigers.

Memphis will return to FedExPark to host Arkansas State Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. before hosting Ole Miss Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at AutoZone Park. The Tigers will remain at home for a weekend series with UCF for the American Athletic Conference opener.

Starter Matt Ferguson allowed just one hit through the first three scoreless innings before things got out of hand in the fourth. He tossed 3 1/3 innings allowing five runs on five hits.

The Tigers did some two-out damage to take the lead in the second inning. Designated hitter Colton Neel and second baseman Trent Turner hit back-to-back doubles to open the scoring. Turner was able to move to third after a walk by catcher Damo DeMatteo and a wild pitch. Center fielder Darien Tubbs drove in a second run with an infield single to the shortstop.

The Salukis touched up Ferguson for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead. A lead off single was followed by a one-out RBI double for the first run.

A single and a hit batter loaded the bases and that's where things fell apart a bit. Another RBI single tied the game up, 2-2, before back-to-back bases loaded walks gave SIU a 4-2 lead and ended Ferguson's day on the mound.

Alex Hicks entered to pitch out of the bullpen and got the first out on a pop up but another bases loaded walk made the score 5-2. He got a strikeout to end the inning and keep the inning from being any worse.

SIU tacked on three more runs in the fifth after Hicks loaded the bases on a single, walk and hit batter. James Muse came in to pitch and allowed two singles and sacrifice fly to make the score 8-2.

Left fielder Chris Carrier hit a solo home run to left field in the sixth that cut the SIU lead to 8-3.

Muse retired the first two batters in the sixth inning before back-to-back singles were followed by a three-run home run that made the score 11-3. Trey McNickle got the final out of the sixth in relief.

Bryan Cruse pitched a perfect inning of relief in the seventh. The perfect frame was the first by a Tiger pitcher since the second inning of the game.

Brandon Grudzielanek hit a solo home run in the eighth to cut the lead to 11-4.

Alex Smith entered to pitch in the eighth and loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter. Trevor Sutton came in with nobody out and got a lineout double play before he gave way to Nolan Blackwood who got out of the inning without a run coming home.

Pinch hitter Corey Chafin was hit by a pitch with two outs in the ninth and Tubbs doubled to drive him in to cut the score to 11-5 but that would be all the offense for Memphis in the ballgame.