University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
11-3
UC Davis
5-8
Memphis Bounces Back with 8-3 Victory over UC Davis
Feb 27, 2011 | Softball
Feb. 27, 2011
PALO ALTO, Calif. - The University of Memphis jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning over UC Davis, cruising to an 8-3 victory on Saturday night in the Stanford Nike Invitational.
Freshman right fielder Ashleigh King knocked in three RBI and senior third baseman Maddie McKinley drove in two runs on a third inning homer and scored two runs to pace the Tigers. Sophomore Carly Hummel improved to 7-0 in the circle, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out seven.
Memphis improves to 11-3 on the season after splitting day two of the tournament hosted by Stanford. The Tigers dropped a 2-0 decision to North Dakota State earlier in the day. UC Davis falls to 5-8 on the year.
Four runs came across the plate in the opening frame for Memphis on one hit. Lelani Bernardino led off the game on a hit by pitch and advanced to second on a throwing error by the catcher on a pickoff attempt. Heather Mott than drove in Bernardino on an infield single between first and the pitcher that bounced around. Mott advanced to second on the play. After a walk to McKinley, Jessica Phillips reached base on a fielding error at first that allowed Mott to score. King and Alyssa Palmieri then hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to left to score two more runs.
McKinley gave Memphis a 6-0 lead with a two-run shot to center in the third inning. The home run is her third of the season and also scored Mott who had led off the inning with a single.
UC Davis scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third and added runs in the fourth and sixth to cut the Memphis lead to 6-3. But King put two more runs on the board for Memphis in the top of the seventh on a two-out double to right center that scored Bernardino and Phillips.
The Aggies' Jessica Thweatt (3-3) suffered the loss, giving up three runs on one hit without allowing an out. Alex Holmes came in relief for UC Davis and allowed three runs on four hits in five innings with five strikeouts. Kasie Cochran pitched the final two innings for the Aggies and gave up two runs on two hits.
Memphis, 2-1 in the tournament, will play its final game in the invitational on Sunday against Colorado State (3-10) at 11:15 a.m. (PT).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hummel, Carly (7-0)
L: Thweatt, Jessica (3-3)
Batting:
2B: King, Ashleigh 1
HR: McKinley, Maddie 1
RBI: Mott, Heather 1 ; McKinley, Maddie 2 ; King, Ashleigh 3 ; Palmieri, Alyssa 1
SH: Phillips, Jessica 1
SF: King, Ashleigh 1 ; Palmieri, Alyssa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bernardino, Lelani 2 ; Mott, Heather 2 ; McKinley, Maddie 2 ; Phillips, Jessica 2
SB: McKinley, Maddie 1
HBP: Bernardino, Lelani 1
Batting:
2B: Schulze, Kelly 1
RBI: Schulze, Kelly 1 ; Zimmerman, Heather 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wagoner, JJ 1 ; Gonzalez, Jessica 1 ; Guzman, Megan 1
HBP: Gonzalez, Jessica 1
