Memphis Wins USF Series with Wild Ninth-Inning Rally

Saturday, April 9

Tampa, Fla.

5:30 PM

University of Memphis

12-18, 0

USF

15-16, 0

Memphis

South Florida

Photo by: Ben Solomon

Memphis Wins USF Series with Wild Ninth-Inning Rally

Apr 09, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Nolan Blackwood sets career saves mark with 22nd save

TAMPA, Fla. – Memphis scored two runs in the top of the ninth to rally for a 4-3 win over USF Saturday at USF Baseball Stadium. The win clinches the first American Athletic Conference series win of the year for the Tigers, who will have a chance to go for their first series sweep as a member of the league on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT).

Junior closer Nolan Blackwood slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and recorded a program record 22^nd career save. Blackwood pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout. The save was also his fifth of the season.

USF took its first lead of the series with an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth inning to force the Tigers to rally. The Bulls called on closer Tommy Eveld, who promptly hit the first three batters of the ninth inning to load the bases with nobody out. Zach Schritenthal and Darien Tubbs drove in the two runs with RBI groundouts to complete the rally.

A pair of relievers, Drew Crosby and Trey McNickle combined to get Memphis out of the jam in the eighth without any more damage done. With his scoreless outing, McNickle was credited with his first win as a Division I pitcher.

Sophomore starting pitcher Connor Alexander was outstanding through 7 1/3 innings pitched. Alexander was extremely efficient, using just 70 pitches in the outing. All three runs he gave up were unearned after costly errors.

Memphis jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after loading the bases with one out. Schritenthal reached on an error to start the ballgame before Jake Little and Andy Bowman each walked with one out. The run came home on an RBI groundout by Brandon Grudzielanek.

Alexander had to work out of a jam in the second inning after the Bulls got two runners on base with one out. The sophomore starter was able to wiggle out of it though.

The Tigers added to their lead in the second after some two-out damage. Little was hit by a pitch with two outs, stole second base and moved to third on an errant throw. Bowman worked his second walk of the game to keep the inning alive before Grudzielanek singled up the middle to drive in his second run of the game and make the score 2-0.

USF started the sixth with back-to-back singles, but on the second hit the ball was misplayed in right field and rolled all the way to the wall, allowing the Bulls to get on board and put a runner at third with no one out. A sacrifice fly to center field tied the game up, 2-2.

There was drama in the bottom of the seventh inning after a one-out single by Garrett Zech. The USF center fielder swiped second base with a close play at the bag. Head Coach Daron Schoenrock came out of the dugout to argue and after a conversation with third base umpire Tim Carey, he was thrown out of the game.

The Bulls took the lead in the eighth inning after the second error of the game on Little in right field. Again it was back-to-back singles and on the second one the ball was thrown away allowing the go-ahead run to score.

The comeback win is just the second of the year for Memphis and the first time the Tigers have rallied in the ninth all season.