Tigers conclude Blues City Classic with comeback win against Evansville

Sunday, March 1

Memphis, Tenn.

1:15 PM

University of Memphis

Evansville

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Tigers conclude Blues City Classic with comeback win against Evansville

Mar 01, 2020 | Softball

Memphis finished the weekend with a perfect 4-0 record

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis softball team strung together six runs in the fourth and fifth innings to come from behind and defeat Evansville by a score of 8-7 Sunday in the final game of the Blues City Classic. The Tigers finished the weekend with a perfect 4-0 mark and improved to 11-8 on the year.

Memphis' originally scheduled second game of the day against North Alabama was canceled due to inclement weather conditions that developed later in the afternoon.

Evansville struck first in the first, scoring two runs on three hits. The Purple Aces registered back-to-back doubles for the first notch on the board.

Memphis quickly returned the favor in the bottom half of the frame. After a slow night at the plate on Saturday, Sam Ibison returned to form with a leadoff single up the middle to put a spark in the Memphis bats. Delaney Smith followed Ibison's single up with a triple to left center, driving in Ibison and scoring on a throwing error by the center fielder.

The teams experienced a quiet second inning before Evansville capitalized in the third to take a 6-2 lead. The Purple Aces drew three walks, including one with the bases loaded. A two-out double to left center cleared the bases to give Evansville the multi-run lead.

Three runs in the fourth and three in the fifth by Memphis shifted momentum back in favor of the Tigers.

With the bases loaded and one out, sophomore Gracie Morton continued her hot bat and hit her eighth double of the young season to right field, driving in the go-ahead run in Ibison. Memphis registered three hits in the inning, including singles by Kendall Lee and Sara Ann Davidson.

Although the Purple Aces tacked on one in the top of the sixth, a double play to Alyssa Dean at second base cleared the bases and neutralized Evansville's threat of scoring more.

Morton led the Tigers with three hits and three RBI while Ibison scored a team-leading three runs for Memphis. Karli Perque entered the game in the top of the third inning and held Evansville to just one run while picking up her third victory of the season. In 4.1 innings, Perque struck out seven while allowing just two hits.

Memphis returns to action next weekend in the UofM Softball Tournament at the Tigers Softball Complex. For more information on the Memphis softball team, follow the Tigers on social media at @MemphisSoftball.