Tigers Shut Out WKU on Opening Day

Saturday, February 17

Memphis, Tenn.

3 p.m.

University of Memphis

1-0

Western Kentucky

0-1

Western Kentucky

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Feb 17, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score

Four Memphis pitchers combine for shutout

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Four Memphis pitchers combined for a 4-0 shutout of Western Kentucky on Opening Day at FedExPark Saturday. The Opening Day shutout is the first for Memphis since the 2006 season when the Tigers blanked Alabama 2-0.

The Tigers and Hilltoppers will finish the season-opening series with an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Sunday at FedExPark.

Riley Cabral made his Memphis debut, pitching 5 1/3 innings and striking out six batters. He allowed just five hits in the shutout performance.

Takoda Metoxen was the first man out of the bullpen for Memphis, being called on in a tight spot. The sophomore entered the game with the bases loaded and one out and got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.

Alex Smith and Hunter Smith finished off the game. The junior lefties combined for three scoreless innings and seven strikeouts.

The four Memphis pitchers also combined for 15 strikeouts in the win. The last time the Tigers struck out 15 batters was in a 12-inning game against Cincinnati. Memphis had not struck out 15 in a nine-inning game since 2013 against UCF.

Memphis got the scoring started with one run in the third inning. Carlos Williams got it started with a one-out single to right field before WKU pitcher Ryan Thurston had a momentary loss of command.

Thurston walked Colton Neel, hit Tyler Webb and walked Alec Trela to drive in the Tigers' run. Memphis was unlucky not to get more when Cale Hennemann lined into a double play to end the inning.

Following Metoxen's clutch pitching, the Tigers gave themselves some much-needed cushion in the top of the seventh. Neel walked and Webb doubled to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Neel scored on a wild pitch and Webb scored on a sacrifice fly by Hennemann. A single by Kyle Ouellette scored Trela to make the Tigers lead 4-0.

Ouellette finished 2-for-4 with a double in his Tiger debut. Webb was 3-for-3 with a double and one run scored. Trela was held hitless in the game but did finish with a career-high three walks.

Memphis will send Jonathan Bowlan to the mound for Game 2 of the series and Alex Hicks will start the series finale in the second half of the doubleheader on Sunday.