Tigers Advance to Semifinals of American Championship

Friday, May 27

Clearwater, Fla.

2:00 PM

University of Memphis

21-38

No. 7 USF

24-33

Memphis

South Florida

Photo by: Ben Solomon

Tigers Advance to Semifinals of American Championship

May 27, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Jake Overbey drove in three runs in 7-5 win over USF

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Jake Overbey lined a two-run single in the top of the ninth to give Memphis a 7-5 win over USF in the American Athletic Conference tournament at Bright House Field Friday. For the third consecutive season the Tigers have eliminated the USF Bulls from the conference tournament.

Memphis (21-38) will play No. 3 UConn on Saturday at noon (CT) and if the Tigers beat the Huskies the two teams will meet again in an elimination game at 6:30 p.m. (CT).

USF had tied the game up 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth but the Tigers fought right back in the ninth. Brandon Grudzielanek and Chris Carrier each singled and Trent Turner walked to load the bases with one out before Overbey gave the Tigers the lead for good.

Overbey went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored. The senior shortstop has five hits in the three games this week in the AAC tournament.

Grudzielanek had a four-hit game and scored two runs, while Carrier had a three-hit game and scored two with one RBI.

Connor Alexander started and pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing two earned runs. Colton Neel worked 1 1/3 innings and kept the Bulls off the board. Nolan Blackwood tossed the final two innings to record the win.

The teams played 4 ½ scoreless innings with both teams squandering multiple chances. Memphis and USF were a combined 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position to start the game.

USF broke open the dam in the bottom of the fifth with two runs to take the lead on a two-run single by Luke Borders.

Memphis answered right back to take the lead with a three-run top of the sixth. Brandon Grudizelanek tripled with one out before Chris Carrier doubled to drive in the Tigers' first run.

After Carrier stole third and Trent Turner worked a walk, Jake Overbey drove in the tying run with a squeeze bunt. The go-ahead run came home on a two-out single by Zach Schritenthal.

The Bulls managed to tie it up in the bottom of the sixth. Memphis nearly had its fourth double play of the season but the throw to first got away and allowed a run to score to make it 3-3.

Memphis retook the lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Zach Schritenthal but USF again tied the game back up in the bottom half.