Tigers Fall Short in Hennemann’s Three-Hit Game

Friday, April 27

Tampa, Fla.

6:00 p.m.

University of Memphis

14-29, 0

USF

28-14, 0

Memphis

Bulls

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Apr 27, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. – Cale Hennemann went 3-for-3 and got on base four times, but it was not enough as Memphis lost 4-2 to No. 20 USF Friday night in the series opener. The Tigers (14-29, 1-12 AAC) will try to even the series Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT) at USF Baseball Stadium.

Hennemann drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single and got on base three other times in the game. He totaled half of the Tigers six hits in the game.

Alex Hicks started and pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. He struck out four batters and walked none.

USF took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by David Villar in the bottom of the first inning.

Memphis battled back in the third inning to tie the game up 1-1. Keith Stepter started the inning with a single to right field and was sacrificed to second base by Jason Santana. Hennemann delivered a clutch two-out single to center to score Stepter from second base.

What seemed like a harmless one-out single by USF's Garrett Zech in the bottom of the fifth ended up representing the Bulls' go-ahead run. A two-out, bloop-hit fell into shallow right field that allowed Zech to score and make the USF lead 2-1.

USF used two more solo home runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 4-1 and put the game away.

The Tigers threatened on more time, after USF starting pitcher Shane McClanahan left the game. Memphis loaded the bases in the seventh but only managed to score one run on a double play.

Alex Smith and Takoda Metoxen both had scoreless relief outings. Smith pitched 2 1/3 innings and struck out two batters.