University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
13-23, 0
East Carolina
23-12, 0
Series Salvaged with 6-5 Walk-Off Win over ECU
Apr 17, 2016 | Baseball
Zach Schritenthal delivered game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth
Memphis grabbed its first lead of the weekend after a wild bottom of the fifth. The inning seemed to start innocently enough with a single by Brandon Grudzielanek. Then with nobody out the junior infielder advanced to second on the first wild pitch of the inning and moved to third on a bad throw by the catcher.
Another wild pitch allowed Grudzielanek to score and give the Tigers the lead. Jake Little worked a walk before stealing second and third base and then scoring on the third wild pitch of the inning.
The Tigers weren't done just yet as Trent Turner walked with two outs and went all the way to third on an errant pickoff throw by the pitcher. He came around to score on a throwing error by the Pirates' third baseman.
It didn't take long for East Carolina to answer, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 3-3. A pair of two-out walks ended Matt Ferguson's day on the mound. Reliever Alex Hicks allowed back-to-back hits to clear the bases.
The senior starting pitcher threw 5 2/3 innings allowing three runs on four hits with three strikeouts.
Memphis answered right back to retake the lead in the bottom of the seventh with some two-out hitting of their own. Jake Little ripped an RBI triple to straight-away center field to score the first run of the inning before Jacob Elliott doubled into the gap in right-center field to make the lead 5-3.
Nolan Blackwood was called on with a runner on base and no outs in the top of the seventh and he wiggled out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts. The junior then pitched a scoreless eighth inning with two more strikeouts to record a single-game career high four strikeouts.
Blackwood went back out to the mound in the ninth to try to record the final three outs but ECU was able to line three hits off of him to tie the game up 5-5. He was able to get out of the inning without giving up the go-ahead run.
Pinch-hitter Andy Bowman worked a leadoff walk to star the bottom of the ninth and pinch-runner Cody Duncan was sacrificed to second base. After Overbey was hit by a pitch, a fly out to right field advanced Duncan to third base. Schritenthal then delivered the game-winning hit.
Next up for Memphis will be the Tigers' final game at AutoZone Park this season, hosting Ole Miss Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. downtown.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Blackwood, Nolan (1-2)
L: Voliva, Evan (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Lamm, Parker 1 ; Mozingo, Zack 2
RBI: Lamm, Parker 1 ; Harman, Bryce 1 ; Brooks, Garrett 1 ; Yorgen, Charlie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Mozingo, Zack 1 ; Lloyd, Brady 1 ; Watkins, Travis 1 ; Brown, Turner 1 ; Nelson, Jeff 1
HBP: Harman, Bryce 1
Batting:
2B: Little, Jake 1 ; Elliott, Jacob 1 ; Turner, Trent 1
3B: Little, Jake 1
RBI: Schritenthal, Zach 1 ; Little, Jake 1 ; Elliott, Jacob 1
SH: Schritenthal, Zach 1 ; DeMatteo, Damo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Grudzielanek, Brandon 1 ; Little, Jake 2 ; Turner, Trent 1 ; Duncan, Cody 1 ; Neel, Colton 1
SB: Little, Jake 2
CS: Williams, Carlos 1
HBP: Turner, Trent 1 ; DeMatteo, Damo 1 ; Overbey, Jake 1
