Tiger Baseball Clinches Series with 9-4 Triumph Over Ohio

Sunday, March 2

Memphis, Tennessee (Nat Buring Stadium)

12:00 PM

University of Memphis

4-4

Ohio

3-3

Ohio

Memphis

Tiger Baseball Clinches Series with 9-4 Triumph Over Ohio

Mar 02, 2008 | Baseball

Box Score

March 2, 2008

Box Score Photo Gallery

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

Memphis 9, Ohio 4

Ohio (3-3)       000 002 200 - 4  8 3
Memphis (4-4)    102 130 020 - 9 10 2

Philip Utley scattered seven hits and struck out two to pick up his first win of the year and help Memphis defeat Ohio 9-4 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers win the series and even their record at 4-4 with the win.

While the Tiger offense racked up runs, Utley cruised through the first five innings, holding Ohio to just three hits. The big righthander faced two batters over the minimum through five frames before the Bobcats got on the board with a pair of runs in the sixth inning.

It took Memphis just three batters to get on the board. Freshman Adam McClain, who went 2-for-5 with three runs scored, reached on an infield single and moved all the way to third when Ohio starter Jason Moulton slung a pickoff throw into the U of M bullpen. McClain then scored on a groundball RBI from Brett Bowen.

The freshman struck again in the home half of the third to put the Tigers on top 2-0. Making his first start of the year, junior Chris Newsom led off the inning with a walk and stole second. With two outs and Newsom on second, McClain bounced a single up the middle to plate Newsom. Moulton then plunked Bowen and Wiedman in consecutive at-bats to jam the sacks and set up an RBI opportunity for Robby Graham. Graham came through with a clutch infield single to bring McClain in for the 3-0 cushion.

After driving in the Tigers third run, Graham then flashed some leather in leftfield. With one out and a runner on third, he made a diving catch and quickly relayed the ball in to shortstop Bowen, who in turn fired home to cut the runner down for the third out.

Chris Newsom belted a triple to right center and Chris Kirkland produced one of his two RBI with a single through the left side for a 4-0 advantage in the fourth inning.

For the second straight game Wiedman fueled a big inning with a home run. This time the sophomore pounded his team-leading third round tripper to power a three-run fifth that made it a 7-0 ballgame. McClain reached on an infield error to lead off the stanza and Bowen followed with a double off the leftfield wall before Wiedman's three-run blast. Bowen finished the day 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

After plating two sixth-inning scores, Ohio cut the Memphis lead to three runs, at 7-4, on back-to-back home runs from Zach Hartle and Matt Stiffler in the top of the seventh. Stiffler was the offensive star for the Bobcats with two hits and two runs scored.

Memphis made things interesting in the top of the eighth. Marc Krauss struck out to open the inning, but reached on a wild pitch. A throwing error then allowed Robert Maddox III to reach base and Chris McDonough worked a walk to load the bases with just one out. Will Hudgens and the Tigers worked out of the jam by retiring the next two batters. Hudgens fanned Jerod Yakubik and induced a groundout by pinch hitter Jason Selhorst to end the threat.

After thwarting the Ohio bid, Memphis put the contest away in the home half of the eighth. In his first at-bat of the year, senior Alex Fennell drew a one-out walk and Ohio reliever then hit Newsom. The Tigers then executed the hit-and-run with Kirkland, who bounced a single through the left side to bring pinch runner Chad Zurcher home. A groundball out by Chalmers scored Newsom for the 9-4 final.

Brach Davis struck out all three hitters he faced in the ninth.

Ohio starter Jason Moulton was the losing pitcher, giving up seven runs on seven hits in a four inning outing. He struck out six.

Memphis will wrap up its seven-game homestand with a two-game midweek series with Creighton on Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch for both games is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Nat Buring Stadium. Join "The Voice" of Tiger Baseball Jeff Brightwell and former U of M standout Ben Grisham as the duo calls the live play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7 FM.