Tigers Grind Out 7-4 Win at Southern Illinois

Thursday, March 24

Carbondale, Ill.

6:30 PM

University of Memphis

9-12

Southern Illinois

12-8-1

Memphis

Southern Illinois

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Mar 24, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Brandon Grudzielanek goes 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Memphis played one of its most complete games of the season on its way to a 7-4 win over Southern Illinois in the series opener Friday night at Itchy Jones Stadium. Brandon Grudzielanek, who was making his first start of the season at shortstop, went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

The series schedule has been slightly altered with Friday's Game 2 now scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch. The series finale is still Saturday at 2 p.m.

Along with Grudzielanek starting at shortstop, the Tigers changed up the middle of the infield with Trent Turner slotting in for his first start at second base. He was 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored.

The game was tight throughout with Memphis pitchers issuing a total of nine walks but each time the Tigers made big pitches in key situations to get out of jams.

Colton Hatchock scuffled through 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with six strikeouts to earn his second win of the season. Relievers Trey McNickle, Drew Crosby and Colton Neel got the game to the ninth inning, where Nolan Blackwood recorded his 21^st career save, tying the program record.

The Tigers had a great start to the game with five singles in the top of the first inning to grab a 2-0 lead. Center fielder Darien Tubbs singled to leadoff the game and stole second base with one out. Left fielder Chris Carrier drove in Tubbs with a single to left-center field.

Memphis then did some two-out damage when Turner singled to put two runners on before Grudzielanek singled to drive in Carrier. First baseman Jacob Elliott legged out an infield single to load the bases but the Tigers couldn't add to the lead.

Southern Illinois tied it up in the second inning with a couple of hits and an error. Catcher Nick Hutchins drove in the first run with an RBI double on a hit-and-run play.

Hathcock was able to make a nice play to cut down the lead runner after a chopper was hit back at him for the second out. After making the nice defensive play, he threw an errant pickoff throw and a wild pitch that evened the score up, 2-2.

Right fielder Jake Little and Turner started the third inning with back-to-back doubles to quickly retake the lead. Grudzielanek then extended the lead out even further with his second home run of the season, making the score 5-2.

SIU cut into the lead in the third inning after four walks by Hathcock. The sophomore right-hander was able to get a strikeout to end the threat with only one run coming home.

Schritenthal doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch with one out in the fourth inning. With two outs Little lined a single to left field to score Schrithenthal and make the score 6-3.

The Tigers stuck with Hathcock into the sixth inning and SIU got two runners on base with a leadoff walk and a one-out single before Memphis turned to McNickle out of the bullpen.

The senior right-hander was able to get a strikeout and a fly out to get the Tigers out of the jam.

Little worked a walk and Turner singled to start something in the seventh inning. Grudzielanek sacrificed the runners over with a bunt before SIU called on its fourth pitcher of the game. A sacrifice fly by Elliott added an insurance run for the Tigers to make the lead 7-3.

Crosby entered to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning and walked the first two batters he faced. He was able to rebound with a strikeout for the first out of the inning. SIU did get a run across on a single to right field but Little was able to throw out the lead runner with a great throw to third base.

Neel entered to pitch and after a walk loaded the bases he was able to get the Tigers out of the jam with no more damage done. The freshman then pitched a scoreless eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts.

Blackwood worked a scoreless bottom of the ninth around a single to record his fourth save of the season and 21^st of his career.