University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
East Carolina
ECU's Five-Run Eighth Sinks Tigers, 12-10
Mar 23, 2007 | Baseball
March 23, 2007
Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. -
No. 22 East Carolina 12, Memphis 10
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Memphis (14-6; 0-1 C-USA) 010 108 000 - 10 13 2 East Carolina (17-6; 1-0 C-USA) 000 133 05X - 12 12 0
East Carolina overcame a 10-7 deficit with five runs in the bottom of eighth to hand Memphis a 12-10 defeat in the Conference USA opener for both teams. The Pirates extend their win streak to 11 games with the win, while the loss snaps a string of five consecutive wins for the Tigers.
Memphis held the three-run lead going into the bottom half of the eighth, but momentum quickly made its way into the Pirates dugout when Drew Schieber belted a 1-2 offering from reliever Dusty Davis over the right centerfield wall to close the gap to 10-8. Ryan Wood then drew a walk and Harrison Eldridge tucked a double inside the foul line in left field. Davis was chased in favor reliever Matt Yokley, who was greeted by Dale Mollenhauer with a three-run blast to right center for the 11-10 lead. ECU used a Tiger error to tack on another score for the 12-10 cushion.
Shane Mathews then came on to close the game and record his eighth save of the year.
Memphis looked poised to snap the Pirates 10-game win string with an eight-run sixth inning that put the Tigers ahead 10-4. K.K. Chalmers drew a leadoff walk, Will Petersen followed with a single and Bill Moss and Joey Lieberman reached on consecutive four-pitch walks to load the bases. Memphis then got RBI-singles from Kyle Norrid, Michael Murray and Adam Amar surge ahead 6-4. Josh Irvin then capped the inning with a bases-clearing double to the left centerfield gap for a six-run cushion. Irvin had two hits in the contest.
ECU responded with the three in the bottom of the sixth on Schieber's first homer of the night--a three-run shot to left centerfield.
Joey Lieberman put Memphis on the board in the second when he doubled and scored on a single by Amar. The senior then gave Memphis a 2-0 cushion on the strength of a solo homer in the fourth inning. The home run was his third of the year and 16th of his one-plus year career at Memphis. Lieberman and Amar led the Tiger offense with three hits each.
Yokley was the tough-luck loser after giving up just one hit--the Mollenhauer homer in the eighth. Brett Butts earned the win after holding the Tigers to one run on two hits in three innings.
The two teams will face off again on Saturday, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. EST.
