USF Edges Memphis In Hard-Fought Semifinal Game

Friday, May 11

Tampa, Fla.

3:30 PM

University of Memphis

37-21

No. 1 USF

38-20

Memphis

USF

Photo by: Ben Solomon

May 11, 2018 | Softball

Box Score

Tigers battle tough in game with four lead changes; end season with 37-21 overall record

TAMPA, Fla.– In a contest with four lead changes, the University of Memphis softball team was edged out by No. 1-seeded USF Friday evening by a score of 8-7 in the American Athletic Conference semifinal match-up. The Tigers finish the season with an overall record of 37-21, the most wins in program history.

Memphis took the first lead of the contest, scoring two runs in the opening frame on three of its 13 hits. USF answered, however, in the bottom of the first with four runs for the second lead change of the game.

The squads went scoreless in the second and third before the Memphis offense struck again. The Tigers put up four runs on four hits to regain a 6-4 lead over the top-seeded Bulls. Addison Maxwell was responsible for igniting the Tigers with her leadoff double down the right field line.

USF came back to tie up the game in the bottom of the fifth at 7-7 with a solo home run and an RBI single to right field.

After a scoreless sixth, the Tigers threatened in the top of the seventh with runners on first and second with two outs. A groundout ended Memphis' hopes of regaining its lead. The Bulls used their momentum from getting out of the top of the seventh to string together a pair of hits that ultimately drove in the game-winning run.

Mariah Nichols was handed the loss after coming in relief for Molly Smith for 6.1 innings. She finished with a strikeout and two walks. Kyler Trosclair Klatt led the Tigers with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.

Tiger Tidbits

Memphis finishes the year with a 37-21 overall record, marking the most wins in program history.
Kyler Trosclair Klatt ended with three hits on the day to lead Memphis, putting her career hits total to 249 and her season total to 79.
Brooke Lee and Regan Hadley also registered multi-hit games for the Tigers.
Addison Maxwell finished with a double and team-high two runs scored.
The Tiger offense struck out just two times while drawing a pair of walks.
This was Memphis' second-straight semifinal finish in the American Athletic Conference Championship.

Scoring
USF 8, Memphis 7
Top 1 – Kyler Trosclair Klatt and Delaney Smith led the inning off with back-to-back singles. Baylee Smith advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt and an infield single by Ashley Threatt drove in the first run of the inning. Brooke Lee then grounded out on a fielder's choice that allowed the runner on third to score. (2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)
Bottom 1 – USF first got on the board after a single up the middle drove in the runner on third. The Bulls first got on base with a single to right center and a double down the left field line. With one out, a three-run home run lifted the Bulls to a 4-2 lead. (4 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2 left on base)
Top 4 – Addison Maxwell led the inning off with a double down the right field line. She advanced to third on a single to right by Regan Hadley and scored on an infield single by Kendall Lee. A single up the middle by Trosclair Klatt drove in two more runs and Trosclair Klatt ultimately scored on a wild pitch. (4 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 1 left on base)
Bottom 4 – A pair of singles strung together with a sacrifice bunt led to one run scoring. (1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)
Top 5 – Memphis put runners on first and second with a pair of singles and a fielder's choice play. A wild pitch put the runners on second and third and Tyler Johnson registered a pinch-hit single to score Maxwell. (1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)
Bottom 5 – A solo home run with one out scored the first run of the inning. USF then singled to first base and advanced that runner to second on a ground ball and scored her on a single to right field. (2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)
Bottom 7 – A leadoff single up the middle combined with a sacrifice bunt put a runner on second with one out. The game-winning run scored on a single to right field. (1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)