University of Memphis Athletics
Saturday, February 29
Memphis, Tenn.
2 p.m.
University of Memphis
8
vs
5
Western Illinois
Photo by: Matthew A. Smith
Goodman's grand slam lifts Tigers to sixth straight win
Feb 29, 2020 | Baseball
Tigers take series against Western Illinois
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis baseball claimed its second consecutive weekend series after an 8-5 win against Western Illinois on Saturday afternoon at FedExPark.
Trailing 4-2 in the sixth, sophomore Hunter Goodman connected on his second grand slam of the weekend to provide the game-winning hit.
"I'm going to the plate looking for good pitches to hit. Me and Coach (Clay) Greene have been talking a lot about my swing and control," Goodman said of his approach. "At the beginning of the season I was kind of out of control and swinging at a lot of pitches I shouldn't have. My approach has been to see pitches up in the zone and hunt those early in the count."
Goodman finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
On the mound, sophomore Bailey Wimberley tallied his second win of the year after tossing three innings in relief. The Eads, Tenn., native limited the Leathernecks to one run while striking out three.
It was the visitors of Western Illinois who struck first on Saturday with a pair of runs in the opening inning. Memphis then responded with two RBI hits from Alec Trela and Zach Wilson to knot the game at 2-2.
The Leathernecks reclaimed the lead in the fifth before Memphis' four-run sixth inning put the Tigers ahead for good. In the seventh inning, a run driven in off the bat of Austin Baskin and a sacrifice fly by Braden Webb helped cap the scoring for the Tigers.
Western Illinois offered a late rally with a run in the eighth, but senior closer Takoda Metoxen registered his second save of the season after striking out the side in the ninth inning.
For the third straight game, the Tigers' pitching staff eclipsed double-figure strikeouts in a game. Memphis registered 14 strikeouts, including eight from starter Carson Stinnett, against just two walks.
The Tigers will seek to complete the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. at FedExPark.
Trailing 4-2 in the sixth, sophomore Hunter Goodman connected on his second grand slam of the weekend to provide the game-winning hit.
"I'm going to the plate looking for good pitches to hit. Me and Coach (Clay) Greene have been talking a lot about my swing and control," Goodman said of his approach. "At the beginning of the season I was kind of out of control and swinging at a lot of pitches I shouldn't have. My approach has been to see pitches up in the zone and hunt those early in the count."
Goodman finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
On the mound, sophomore Bailey Wimberley tallied his second win of the year after tossing three innings in relief. The Eads, Tenn., native limited the Leathernecks to one run while striking out three.
It was the visitors of Western Illinois who struck first on Saturday with a pair of runs in the opening inning. Memphis then responded with two RBI hits from Alec Trela and Zach Wilson to knot the game at 2-2.
The Leathernecks reclaimed the lead in the fifth before Memphis' four-run sixth inning put the Tigers ahead for good. In the seventh inning, a run driven in off the bat of Austin Baskin and a sacrifice fly by Braden Webb helped cap the scoring for the Tigers.
Western Illinois offered a late rally with a run in the eighth, but senior closer Takoda Metoxen registered his second save of the season after striking out the side in the ninth inning.
For the third straight game, the Tigers' pitching staff eclipsed double-figure strikeouts in a game. Memphis registered 14 strikeouts, including eight from starter Carson Stinnett, against just two walks.
The Tigers will seek to complete the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. at FedExPark.
Players Mentioned
INF
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C/UTL
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RHP
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RHP
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INF
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UTL
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OF
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RHP
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