One Bad Inning Spoils Ouellette’s Big Day

Sunday, March 4

Knoxville, Tenn.

11 a.m.

University of Memphis

4-7

vs. East Tennessee State

5-4

ETSU

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Mar 04, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score

Kyle Ouellette goes 3-for-3 in loss

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Kyle Ouellette went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI but the Tigers were unable to overcome a six-run inning in an 8-2 loss to East Tennessee Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Tigers (4-7) will be back in action against Middle Tennessee Tuesday and Wednesday at Reese Smith Jr. Field. Memphis and MTSU will play Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 3 p.m.

The game turned in the top of the sixth inning when ETSU blew the game open with a six-run inning. The six runs gave the Buccaneers an 8-2 lead.

Alex Hicks started for Memphis and went 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He struck out six in the game.

East Tennessee jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run home run in the top of the first. The first two pitches by Hicks were hammered to right field for a double and a homer, but he settled in and quickly retired the next three hitters.

Hicks cruised through the second through fifth innings before getting into trouble in the sixth.

Memphis got a run back in the second when Ouellette doubled off the wall in left and Nick Vaage raced home from first. The Tigers would have liked to get more out of the inning though, with a runner at third and only one out.

Ouellette's big day continued in the fourth when he tied the game up 2-2 with a solo home run. He later lined a single in the sixth and walk in the seventh.

Connor Alexander, Drew Talley and Blake Bennett combined to pitch the final three scoreless innings.