Memphis offense goes cold in 8-2 loss at Tulane

Saturday, April 3

New Orleans, La.

3:00 PM

University of Memphis

11-15, 1-3

Tulane

14-13, 3-1

Memphis

Tulane

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Apr 03, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Memphis Tigers trailed from the get-go in an 8-2 loss to the Tulane Green Wave in the series finale Saturday. For the third straight game, Tulane (14-13, 3-1) struck in the first inning and didn't look back, as the Green Wave offense used three crooked numbers in route to a win. The victory secured Tulane the series win. Memphis (11-15, 1-3) didn't score until the seventh and got a ninth inning solo home run from Taylor Howell in the loss.

Like both games in Friday's doubleheader, which both ended in Tulane wins, the Green Wave plated a run against the Memphis starter in the first frame. Against Chris Durham (L, 2-2) Saturday, Collin Burns and Jacob Laprairie started the inning with consecutive singles, while a sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position for Frankie Niemann. Niemann put the Green Wave ahead 1-0 with a sacrifice fly. The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth.

In the fourth, Tulane plated three against Durham, which proved to be enough for the win. Simon Baumgardt led off the frame with a home run, while a two-out single to right field from Laprairie plated two more. Tulane led 4-0 after four frames.

The Tigers had at least one baserunner in each of the first four innings against Trent Johnson (W, 2-3), but only advanced one into scoring position. Johnson retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth, as he allowed just three hits, all singles, across six-shutout innings.

Memphis finally broke the shutout as Tulane went to the bullpen in the seventh. With Clifton Slagel on the mound, Howell connected with a one-out single and scored two batters later on an RBI triple from Jaylen Wilbon. The Tigers left Wilbon 90 feet away and trailed 4-1 at the stretch.

After 4.1 innings from Durham, Takoda Metoxen walked one over 1.2 hitless frames. Daniel Casto followed to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning and didn't retire either batter that he faced. Two straight walks sent the Tigers back to the bullpen, as Reed Harding became Memphis' fourth pitcher of the day. Harding walked Luis Aviles, which loaded the bases for Baumgardt, who collected his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, Jared Hart made it 6-1 with an RBI single. Casto was charged with two runs without recording an out, while Harding wasn't charged with a run over an inning out of the bullpen.

Tulane added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth against the combination of Logan Walters and Austin Baskin, the latter of whom made his first collegiate appearance on the mound in his 16^th game of the season, primarily as an infielder. Howell led off the ninth with his fifth home run of the season, second most on the team behind only Hunter Goodman, but Zach Devito set down the next three Tigers and secured Tulane's 8-2 win. The Green Wave won three straight after Memphis took the series opener on Thursday.

Memphis' schedule doesn't get any easier after the weekend in New Orleans, as the Tigers will head to Greenville, N.C. for four games against No. 8 East Carolina. The Tigers and the Pirates will begin with a doubleheader on Friday at 12 p.m. and follow with single games Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. respectively. After the series vs. the pre-season pick to win the AAC, the Tigers will return to FedExPark for a four-game series with Cincinnati April 16-18.