Memphis Wins American Opener Behind Hathcock Gem

Friday, April 1

FedExPark

6:30 PM

University of Memphis

10-15, 0

UCF

15-13, 0

UCF

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Apr 01, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Colton Hathcock allowed one run on six hits in complete game

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Colton Hathcock tossed his first career complete game to lead Memphis to a 6-1 win over UCF to open American Athletic Conference play Friday night at FedExPark. The series will continue Saturday at 2 p.m. with Connor Alexander slated to start for the Tigers.

Right fielder Jake Little went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored. He drove in the first two runs of the game for Memphis. Brandon Grudzielanek went 1-for-3 and drove in two runs with a big hit late to give the Tigers some breathing room.

The Tigers got on the board first with a run in the third. Darien Tubbs singled to start the inning, stole second base and moved to third on a fly out by Zach Schritenthal. Little drove him in with a double to right field.

Hathcock executed the shutdown inning in the top of the fourth with a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play to end the frame.

Memphis added to the lead in the fifth after Jake Overbey singled to lead off the inning. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tubbs and a clutch two-out hit by Little drove him in to make the score 2-0.

Hathcock wiggled out of a jam in the in the seventh inning after back-to-back two-out walks. The sophomore right-hander was able to get a fly out to get out of the inning with the shutout intact.

The Tigers blew the game open in the seventh after Damo DeMatteo was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Overbey sacrificed him to second base and with two outs, the Tigers went to work to drive in four runs.

Schritenthal singled to drive in DeMatteo and UCF followed with a pitching change. Little worked a walk off of reliever Harrison Hukari before Jacob Elliott singled to right field to drive in another run.

Grudzielanek punctuated the inning with a two-run double off the wall in left field to make the score 6-0.

UCF was able to break up the shutout with three singles in the eighth inning but Hathcock got a strikeout to end the inning. Hathcock then pitched a scoreless ninth inning to finish off the complete game.