University of Memphis
Charlotte
49ers' Pitching Flattens Tigers
Mar 31, 2000 | Baseball
March 31, 2000
Memphis, TN - The University of Memphis baseball team (8-18, 2-4) dropped the first game of a three-game homestand against the Forty-Niners of UNC Charlotte (18-11-1, 3-4) on Friday night, by a score of 5-2. The Tigers could only manage five hits compared with 11 for the Forty-Niners and it took it's toll, as Memphis just couldn't muster any offense and now falls to 2-4 in conference play. The Tigers were alone in sixth place within conference action but after tonight's loss, they will now fall into a tie for seventh.
Leading things off, the Forty-Niners scored two runs in the top of the first and took a 2-0 lead, entering the bottom of the inning. The Tigers would get one of their own in the bottom of the second, as senior left fielder Tony Lomeli singled to shallow right to score senior right fielder Wes Crane and Memphis trailed 2-1, going into the top of the third. UNC Charlotte increased their lead, grabbing one more run in the top of the fourth and the Forty-Niners took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth. Memphis would respond in the bottom of the fifth, when junior shortstop Gabe Interiano grounded out to short, scoring Lomeli from third and the Tigers were clawing back, down 3-2 going into the sixth. The Forty-Niners however, grabbed two more in the top of the seventh, and took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the inning. That was close as Memphis would get before suffering their second defeat in-a-row, after losing to Murray State earlier this week.
The lone bright spot for the Tigers was Lomeli, who went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk while scoring a run and grabbing an RBI.
Taking the loss for Memphis was junior pitcher Jonathan Leicester (0-6) who is still searching for his first win of the season. Leicester went six-and-a-third, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits while walking two and striking out two. Redshirt-freshman Joshua Cartwright came on to relieve Leicester in the seventh and finished out the game, allowing only three hits while striking out one, in the loss.
Grabbing his seventh win of the year was Brion Treadway (7-2), going eight full innings and allowing two runs on five hits while walking three and fanning nine, in the win.
Coach Jeff Hopkins after the game said, "We got beat by a great pitching performance by Treadway, he's been a great pitcher for them for sometime. The name of the game was pitching."
These two teams hook-up again tomorrow for the second game of this three-game series. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at Nat Buring Stadium. The final game will be played Sunday April 2nd at 1 p.m., also at Nat Buring Stadium.
