UCF Evens Series with 9-2 Win

Saturday, April 2

FedExPark

2:00 PM

University of Memphis

10-16, 0

UCF

16-13, 0

UCF

Memphis

Photo by: Michael Gardner

Apr 02, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Tigers and Knights will play rubber match Sunday at noon

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis bats were held in check by UCF, who evened up the weekend series with a 9-2 win Saturday at FedExPark. The Tigers will look to win the American Athletic Conference opening series Sunday at noon.

Memphis had plenty of chances to score in the game but left six runners on base. That first chance came in the bottom of the first inning when Zach Schritenthal singled and Jake Little walked to put two runners on base with one out. A pair of groundouts ended the threat though.

UCF started the top of the second with back-to-back doubles to spark a three-run inning. The Tigers were nearly out of the inning after just one run but a slowly hit ground ball scored the second run and a two-out single made the score 3-0.

Jason Santana got to second base to start the bottom of the third with a fly ball that was dropped in left field. He advanced to third after a groundout by Darien Tubbs and scored on sacrifice fly by Zach Schritenthal to cut the UCF lead to 3-1.

The Knights got the run right back and more after they started a third straight inning with a leadoff double. The runner advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a squeeze bunt. Two more singles and an error in the outfield made the score 5-1 in the fourth inning.

The Tigers scored one more run in the fourth but it could have been more after they loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly by Jake Overbey plated the lone run.

Connor Alexander avoided further damage in the fifth with a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Memphis missed an opportunity to cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth after Brandon Grudzielanek doubled with one out. He moved to third base on a ground out but was stranded there.

The Tigers squandered another run-scoring chance in the seventh after pinch hitter Trent Turner was hit by a pitch to start the seventh inning before Tubbs singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Tubbs was then caught stealing at second base for the second out and a ground out ended the inning.

UCF put the game away with two more runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth inning. A leadoff single in the eighth ended Alexander's day on the mound and reliever Hunter Smith allowed an RBI double and a sacrifice fly. Nolan Blackwood allowed two runs on two hits and a walk.