Tigers rebound with 5-2 win over Miami

Saturday, March 13

Memphis, Tenn.

12 p.m.

University of Memphis

5-7

Miami (OH)

7-6

MIAMI

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Mar 13, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Less than 24 hours after the Memphis Tigers were shut out by the visiting Miami RedHawks, the hometown Tigers bounced back with a 5-2 victory Saturday at FedExPark. Memphis got strong pitching from Jackson Cothren (W, 1-1, Chris Durham, and Bailey Wimberley (SV, 2), as the trio of Tigers struck out 10 and walked just two. Hunter Goodman recorded his second straight multi-hit game for Memphis, while Taylor Howell and Braden Webb each tallied two RBIs.

The RedHawks (7-6) opened the game with consecutive singles, but Goodman caught each of the Miami baserunners trying to steal second base, which got Cothren the early scoreless frame. The Memphis starter worked around a leadoff walk in the second inning before the Tigers (5-7) got to Jonathan Brand (0-2) in the home half of the frame. Ben Brooks drew a leadoff walk and Zach Wilson followed with a HBP. After a successful sacrifice bunt from Evan Bell, Webb gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead with a two-run single. The following inning, Ian Bibiloni drew a leadoff HBP, and Goodman followed with a single. Two batters later, Howell doubled the Memphis lead with a two-run double, as the Tigers led 4-1 after three innings. Howell's double proved to be the decisive hit in the game.

Miami pushed a run across in between the Tigers' two-run frames, as consecutive two-out HBP's led to an eventual RBI single from Will Vogelgesang. That was the lone run charged to Cothren, who allowed just four hits over 5.2 innings. The RedHawks had just two runners reach scoring position over the final six innings.

A double from Jaylen Wilbon led off the fourth for the Tigers, and he scored two batters later on an RBI double from Goodman, the All-American's second hit of the game. Brand went four innings and allowed five runs, all earned, on six hits. In relief of the Miami starter, Jacob Webb spun four-shutout innings, which kept the RedHawks within striking distance. After four innings, Memphis led 5-1.

Durham gave up a leadoff home run to Dalton Back in the eighth inning, which capped off the day's scoring. The Memphis reliever departed for Wimberley with a runner on second base and two outs in the eighth, as Wimberley struck out Tyler Wardwell to end the frame and then worked a perfect ninth frame that finished off Memphis' 5-2 win.

The Tigers and RedHawks wrap up the weekend set tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at FedExPark. Memphis will look to make it consecutive home series wins before the Tigers turn their attention to Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders visit Memphis next weekend for four games over three days, with single games Friday and Sunday and a doubleheader on Saturday.