Softball Gets First Win of Season at Florida Gulf Coast

Saturday, February 13

Ft. Myers, Fla.

8 a.m.

University of Memphis

0-3

Middle Tennessee

2-1

MEMPHIS

Middle Tennessee

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Softball Gets First Win of Season at Florida Gulf Coast

Feb 13, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Tigers hold home team to just three hits in 6-0 win Saturday.

By: Tammy DeGroff

MEMPHIS – The Memphis softball team (1-3) picked up its first win of the season in a 6-0 win over host Florida Gulf Coast (0-3), Saturday. Sophomore Brooke Lee hit her first home run on the season to help Memphis to the win. The Tigers will wrap up the tournament Sunday against Big 10 foe Michigan State at 11:15 a.m. (ET).

Middle Tennessee 11, Memphis 2 | Box Score
The morning got off to a rocky start for Memphis, as Middle Tennessee scored six runs on seven hits with help from two Tiger errors to build a 6-0 first inning lead that would prove insurmountable. Middle Tennessee added a run in both the second and third and a trio of runs in the fourth to take an 11-0 lead.

Memphis got on the board in the top of the fifth with one out. Catcher Brittany Seale singled and freshman Breana Valenzuela came in as a pinch runner. Fellow freshman Tyler Johnson then singled to center field to advance Valenzuela to second. The runners both advanced on a Lindsey Strickrod ground out to short and when freshman Regan Hadley reached base on an error from the Blue Raider short stop, both Tiger runners scored to put the pair of runs on the board.
Katie Brignac took the loss for Memphis to fall to 0-2 on the season
Bayleigh Wisher saw her first action of the season in the circle, pitching 2.2 innings. Calli Irvin also saw her first action of the season from the circle, pitching 0.2 innings and striking out one of the two batters she faced.

Memphis 6, Florida Gulf Coast 0 | Box Score
Sophomore Brooke Lee hit her first home run of the year and Memphis held the host team to just three hits in a 6-0 win, Saturday. The win if the first of the season for the Tigers and is the first of the season for sophomore pitcher Molly Smith.

Freshman Breana Valenzuela made her first career start; she started at short stop for Memphis.
Memphis attacked from the start. Kyler Trosclair bunted a single and advanced to second on a throwing error by the FGCU catcher. Hannah Harrell bunted Trosclair over to third and a Brittany Seale ground out to second base allowed Trosclair to score and give Memphis the 1-0 lead.
Memphis tacked on a run at the top of the fourth when Brooke Lee hit her first home run of the season with two outs. That's the second home run of the year for the Tigers.
In the fifth inning, Trosclair again got on base with a bunt. A Harrell infield ground out advanced Trosclair to second and Tyler Johnson knocked in the RBI with a single to short for a 3-0 Memphis lead.
The Tigers doubled that lead at the top of the seventh. Lindsey Crowdus singled to second to opening the inning and advanced to second when Trosclair drew a walk. FGCU changed pitchers after the walk, but Harrell advanced the runners, setting up Brittany Seale for an RBI after her single. Lindsey Stickrod came to bat with Crowdus standing on third and Seale on first. Strickrod knocked the first triple of the season to right field, scoring both runners and putting her at third, where she got stranded with Memphis up 6-0.
The home team made a run in the bottom of the seventh. After a lead-off single, FGCU advanced the runner to second with two outs, but short stop Sami Jo Schulz threw out the runner at second on a fielder's to get the Tigers their first win of the season.
Molly Smith pitched a complete game, allowing three hits with two strikeouts and no walks. She induced 10 of the 25 batters she faced to fly out and nine in to groundouts.
The Tigers' had their first error-free game of the tournament in the win.

Coach Natalie Poole Quotes:
"So far, in three of the four games here, we've had leads. We've just gotten behind at the beginning and had to play a little catch up."

"In the second game today, Molly (Smith) did a great job of coming back and working ahead. We didn't allow lead-off hitters to get on, we scored first and we held the lead and built on it at the end."

"Our offense is showing tremendous potential here so far this weekend. We just need to focus on getting control in our pitching early on and commanding the game right away. We want to work ahead in the count. Our potential is there, we just need to sharpen up what we're doing in the circle."