Season-high hits propel Memphis to even series

Saturday, April 27

Orlando, Fla.

5 p.m.

University of Memphis

21-19, 6-7

UCF

25-18, 6-11

Memphis

UCF

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Apr 27, 2019 | Baseball

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. – A late offensive outburst fell the way of the Memphis baseball squad, as the Tigers evened its weekend series against UCF behind a 12-7 victory Saturday night at John Euliano Park.

Tied 2-2 through the sixth inning, Memphis plated six runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to force a rubber match on Sunday.

The Tigers collected a season-high 18 hits. All seven hitters who recorded a hit had multiple-hit nights. All four Tigers who tallied an RBI each recorded at least a pair.

Kyle Ouellette continued his offensive surge on Saturday night. The senior was 3-for-6 with four RBI and three runs scored. Entering the month of April with a .203 average, Ouellette has raised his average to .318.

Ben Brooks, Colton Neel and Alec Trela each went 3-for-5 at the dish. Trela also added three RBI, his second multi-RBI effort of the weekend.

Nick Vaage, who was 2-for-4 on Saturday, collected his third home run of the season. His two-run shot to right field capped the scoring for the Tigers in the seventh.

Chris Durham collected his third win of the season on the mound. The junior threw six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and struck out five UCF hitters. Durham also registered his fourth quality start of the season with all coming in his last five outings.

After UCF tightened the contest late, Takoda Metoxen calmed the waters and recorded his second career save and first of the season. Metoxen entered with the bases loaded in the eighth and struck out a pair of batters to end the threat. The junior finished the evening with three strikeouts in 1.2 innings and did not allow a hit.

Memphis led off the first inning with three consecutive singles from Brooks, Neel and Goodman to take a 1-0 lead. UCF plated its first run in the second to provide the game's first tie.

After Memphis and UCF traded runs in the fourth inning, Goodman broke the 2-2 tie in the seventh inning when the rookie sent a line drive up the middle with the bases loaded to score a pair. Ouellette drove in two more on a two-out single later in the frame, and Vaage's 2-run home run gave Memphis an 8-2 advantage.

UCF plated four in the seventh to trim the Tigers lead to 8-6 before Memphis matched with four in the eighth.

A 2-RBI double by Ouellette and 2-RBI single by Alec Trela pushed the Tiger lead back to 12-6. UCF plated one in the eighth inning and threatened for more with the bases loaded and one away before Metoxen closed the door with his first save of the year.

Memphis and UCF will return to the diamond for Sunday's rubber game set for 12 p.m. (CT).