Tigers Walk Off Belmont Tuesday at FedExPark

Tuesday, May 8

Memphis, Tenn.

6:30 p.m.

University of Memphis

17-32

Belmont

16-32

Belmont

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

May 08, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score

Nick Vaage hits go-ahead sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Nick Vaage hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to give Memphis a 5-4 victory over Belmont Tuesday at FedExPark. Taylor Bobo pitched a career-high five scoreless innings of relief to lead Memphis on the mound.

Vaage finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. In all, eighth different Tigers had at least one hit in the game.

The Tigers (17-32, 3-15 AAC) had a tough start to the game, as Danny Denz walked four batters in the top of the first inning to give Belmont a 1-0 lead to start the game. Bobo was called on out of the bullpen to get the Tigers out of the first-inning jam.

Bobo went on to strike out three batters and allowed just two hits in a career-high five innings pitched.

Memphis tied the game up in the bottom fourth. Kyle Ouellette reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second base on an error. After taking third base on a fly out to center, Ouellette scored on a wild pitch to knot the game at 1-1.

The Tigers grabbed their first lead of the game in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Tyler Webb to score Cale Hennemann. Memphis tacked on another run when Ouellette hit an RBI single to make the score 3-1.

Belmont got a run back in the top of the seventh, scoring an unearned run off of Alex Hicks after a walk, a passed ball and a two-out RBI single.

The Tigers got the run back in the bottom half of the seventh, after Alec Trela walked and later scored on a wild pitch.

The Bruins would not go quietly though, as they tied the game up in the eighth inning on three hits, including a pair of RBI doubles off of Blake Bennett.

Riley Cabral pitched in and out of trouble in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with one out but getting out of the jam without giving up a run. He picked up the win and improved to 5-5 this season.

Memphis will hit the road for Tulane for the Tigers' final American Athletic Conference road series of the year. Both teams enter the weekend with a lot at stake, as Memphis, Tulane and Wichita State are battling for the final two spots in the conference tournament.