Tigers Rally Comes Up Short Wednesday

Wednesday, March 7

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

3 p.m.

University of Memphis

5-8

Middle Tennessee

7-6

Memphis

Middle Tennessee

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Mar 07, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score

Memphis scores six runs over final two innings

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Memphis was unable to overcome an early 4-0 deficit in a 7-6 loss to Middle Tennessee at Reese Smith Jr. Field Wednesday. The Tigers (5-8) scored six runs over the final two innings but still came up short.

Middle Tennessee put four runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning. The game started with a walk, an error on a potential double play ball and a wild pitch to plate the first run. An RBI single brought home the second run and a two-run homer made the score 4-0.

The Blue Raiders tacked on one more run with two outs in the second inning to make the score 5-0.

Tigers starter Connor Alexander got into a jam in the fifth and Memphis turned to Hunter Smith out of the bullpen. The Blue Raiders scored on a sacrifice fly to go up 6-0 but that was all Smith would allow.

The Tigers finally cut into the lead in the eighth after Ben Brooks started the inning with a single for just the second hit of the game. After the single by Brooks the Tigers displayed some patience at the plate to cut into the MTSU lead.

Middle Tennessee pitchers walked four batters, hit one batter and threw a wild pitch in the inning to trim the lead down to 6-3.

The Blue Raiders added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when what looked like an inning-ending strikeout turned into a runner at second after a wild pitch and an error. A two-out single drove in a run to make it 7-3.

Memphis rallied valiantly in the ninth, scoring three more runs but came up just short in the end. Tyler Webb had an RBI double and Kyle Ouellette hit a two-run single in the inning.

Memphis will return to FedExPark for a three-game weekend series against Little Rock. The Tigers and Trojans will open the series Friday at 6:30 p.m., continue on Saturday at 2 p.m. and conclude the weekend Sunday at 1 p.m.