Memphis Wins Exciting Series at Missouri State

Sunday, March 19

Springfield, MO

1:00 PM

University of Memphis

12-7

Missouri State

13-6

Memphis

Missouri State

Photo by: Michael Gardner

Mar 19, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score

The Tigers won 5-4 Sunday to take the series

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Memphis used a series of great defensive plays and timely home runs to beat Missouri State 5-4 and win the series over the Bears Sunday at Hammons Field. The Tigers (12-7) threw runners out at the plate in the fourth and seventh innings and Tyler Webb's seventh inning homer held up as the game-winning run.

Starting pitcher Connor Alexander was solid again, pitching seven innings and striking out seven batters. He worked around trouble in the early innings and then settled in later in the game. Alexander allowed three earned runs and recorded his third win of the season.

Relievers Blake Bennett and Colton Hathcock locked up the late innings and Hathcock recorded his seventh save of the season. The ninth inning was heart-stopping for the second straight day as Missouri State managed loaded the bases but Hathcock got out of it again.

Memphis twice had to rally from two-run deficits after Missouri State took a 2-0 lead after three innings and retook the lead 4-2 in the fifth.

Memphis knotted the game up in the top of the fifth inning. Jason Santana singled with one out and Carlos Williams smashed a double to left-center to drive him in. An error on the second baseman allowed Williams to score and tie the game 2-2.

After a two-run homer by the Bears in the fifth, the Tigers punched right back with a power display of their own. Freshman shortstop Alec Trela launched a two-run homer to left field to knot the game back up 4-4 in the top of the sixth.

Memphis took its first lead of the day in the seventh on the first career home run by Tyler Webb. The no-doubt shot proved to be the winning run.

With the Tigers trailing 2-0 in the fourth and Missouri State threatening, Chris Carrier came through with a strong throw home to gun down a runner at the plate.

In the eighth inning, the Tigers lead was in doubt after a double to left-center but Williams fielded the ball cleanly and quickly threw it back in. Trela caught the relay and threw home to get the would-be-game-tying run out at the plate.

Santana was strong behind the plate, in tagging out the two runners at home, and with the bat going 3-for-4.

Memphis will continue its stretch of games in Minor League ballparks, hosting Ole Miss at AutoZone Park Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The Tigers will return to FedExPark for the weekend to host Southern for a three-game series.