Phillips' Walk-Off Homer in Eighth Gives Tigers Series Win Over Marshall

Saturday, April 3

Memphis, Tenn.

12 PM

University of Memphis

19-13, 6-5

Marshall

17-18, 3-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Marshall	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	1
Memphis	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	5	0

Sophomore Jessica Phillips' walk-off home run to center gave Memphis a 2-1 win over Marshall..

Phillips' Walk-Off Homer in Eighth Gives Tigers Series Win Over Marshall

Apr 03, 2010 | Softball

Box Score

April 3, 2010

Box Score

Memphis, Tenn. - For the second time in less than 24 hours, Memphis enjoyed a walk-off, one-run win against Marshall at the Tiger Softball Complex. This time the Tigers get an extra inning 2-1 win thanks to Jessica Phillips' solo homer to center in the bottom of the eighth Saturday afternoon.

The win gives Memphis its first-ever series win over the Thundering Herd and improves the Tigers' record to 19-13 on the season and 6-5 in Conference USA play.

The homer was Phillips' first since hitting two against Wichita State in the season opener. Her third homer of the year also ties the sophomore's total from 2009.

Freshman pitcher Carly Hummel narrowly missed her fifth career shutout, but picked up her 11th win of the season and second win of the weekend. Hummel retired 18 of the first 19 batters she faced, including the first 11 until Marshall freshman Jazimine Valle singled with two outs in the fourth. Jazmine Valle is the sister of Memphis junior Janelle Valle.

The Tigers got on the board in the fourth when Shanna Brown scored on Kailey Kassner's sacrifice fly to right field. Brown was pinch running for Keenah Prestridge, who led off the inning with a walk. Brown had moved to third base after a bunt single by Alex Marshall and a throwing error by Marshall's Valle.

Kassner also drove in the game-winning run in game one of the weekend series with a pinch-hit single in the bottom of the seventh. She has 13th RBIs on the season, good for third on the Tiger squad.

Prestridge also drew walks in the second and sixth innings giving her three walks on the day and six on the weekend. Her 21 bases on balls leads the Tigers.

Marshall's Caitlyn Jackson led off seventh with a double for the Herd's second hit of the game. Hummel then got Valle and Rebecca Gamby to pop out in the infield. After intentionally walking Melanie Stoehr, Hummel gave up her first unintentional walk of the game to BriAnna Hope to load the bases. Hummel's wild pitch to Alysia Hively allowed Jackson to score Marshall's first run, tying the game 1-1. The Memphis hurler would recover to strike pinch hitter Alysia Hively out to end the inning.

Lelani Bernardino led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, her second hit of the game, and moved the second on McKinley's sacrifice bunt. Marshall pitcher Katie Murphree intentionally walked Rowan and Bernardino would move to third on a fly to right by Walle, but Heather Mott flied out to center ending the seventh.

Bernardino had five hits in the three games of the series. She also has five two-hit games in the Tigers' last seven contests. She has eight multi-hit games this season.

Murphee suffered the loss for Marshall (17-18, 3-9 C-USA) after allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with seven walks and seven strikeouts. She falls to 10-10 on the season.

Memphis will play its next five games on the road. The Tigers travel to Martin, Tenn., for a midweek doubleheader against UT Martin on Wednesday at 4 and 6 p.m. The U of M will then play a three-game league series at Houston on April 10-11.