Tigers fall in opening round of The American Championship

Tuesday, May 21

Clearwater, Fla.

3 p.m.

University of Memphis

27-27

Cincinnati

27-29

Memphis

Cincinnati

Photo by: Jason Roberts

Tigers fall in opening round of The American Championship

May 21, 2019 | Baseball

Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Memphis baseball dropped its opening-round matchup in the American Athletic Conference Championship against the second-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats by a final of 11-6 on Tuesday evening at Spectrum Field.

Memphis found early momentum in the game, but eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings helped propel the Bearcats.

Alec Trela turned in a multiple-hit day, going 2-for-2 at the plate with two walks. The junior also added a pair of RBI.

Colton Neel scored a pair of runs and connected on his fourth home run of the season in the top of the first inning.

Neel began the game's scoring with a solo home run in the second at-bat of the game.

After Cincinnati plated three in the bottom of the second inning, the Tigers responded right back with three in the top of the third to reclaim the lead.

Ben Brooks and Neel singled and walked to lead off the inning. Hunter Goodman then connected on an RBI double, and Kyle Ouellette grounded out to bring a run home to tie the game. With a runner on third base, Trela drove a two-out single to left to give Memphis a 4-3 lead.

Cincinnati regained its lead with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Bearcats then pushed their lead to 11-4 with a pair of runs in the sixth frame.

Memphis got two runs back in the top of the eighth off the bats off Trela and Nick Vaage, but that would be as close as the Tigers could strike.

Memphis will return to action on Wednesday evening to face the loser of Tuesday night's Tulane vs. UCF contest. The Tigers' first pitch on Wednesday will begin approximately 47 minutes after the day's first game featuring ECU and Houston, which begins at 2 p.m. (CT).