Tigers outlast UNCW to even weekend series

Saturday, March 16

Memphis, Tenn.

2 p.m.

University of Memphis

9-8

UNC Wilmington

11-9

UNC Wilmington

Memphis

Photo by: Rhett Hutchins

Mar 16, 2019 | Baseball

Box Score

Neel collects game-winning hit and save for second time this season

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In a back-and-forth contest, the Memphis baseball team evened its weekend series against UNCW behind a 10-8 victory on Saturday afternoon at FedExPark.

Saturday's game featured five lead changes. Memphis (9-8) scored in its final six innings to negate an early deficit and post its seventh win in nine outings.

"Getting down 4-0 early, we stressed in the dugout 'keep playing, keep playing. They have to get us out 27 times,'" Head Coach Daron Schoenrock said. "I thought we did a phenomenal job in the second half of the game against their bullpen in putting good at bats together. We kept answering."

Six Tigers turned in multi-hit efforts, including the top five hitters in the lineup. Hunter Goodman and Alec Trela delivered in key moments, each tallying a pair of RBI.

On the mound, Alex Smith registered his second win of the season. The senior threw 2.1 innings, allowing only one run against three strikeouts. Senior Colton Neel, who recorded a 2-for-4 day at the plate with an RBI, took the hill in the ninth and notched his third save of the season.

The Tigers also took advantage early in their offensive frames, as Memphis' leadoff batter reached base in the final five innings.

"They have good arms in the bullpen, and making them handle us with the leadoff man on was a big difference today," Schoenrock said. "We did a good job as hitters commanding the strike zone. We took what they gave us and took advantage of it."

The Seahawks plated four runs in the first two innings to take an early edge, but the Tigers answered with four runs of their own in the third and fourth innings. Memphis used four hits in the third inning to plate three runs and manufactured a run in the fourth behind a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly following a leadoff double by Neel to tie the game.

The Tigers claimed their first lead of the day in the fifth inning after a double by Trela and single by Cale Hennemann led off the frame. A ground out pushed a run across and an RBI single from Jason Santana built a 6-4 cushion.

The lead didn't last long as the Seahawks plated three in the top of the sixth for its second lead of the day. The Tigers reclaimed the lead in the home half behind Goodman's second RBI hit and another sacrifice fly.

UNCW came right back with a game-tying run in the top of the seventh inning before Neel broke an 8-8 tie in the bottom of the seventh to put the Tigers ahead for the remainder of the game. After Keith Stepter walked to lead off the frame, a sacrifice bunt pushed him to second base. Neel then connected on the game-winning double for a 9-8 Tiger lead.

Memphis would score an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth off an RBI single by Trela before Neel closed the door in the ninth inning.

Saturday's win sets up a Sunday rubber match against the Tigers and Seahawks. First pitch from FedExPark for the series finale is slated for 12 p.m.