Goodman homers twice, Tigers swept in doubleheader by Wichita State

Thursday, May 20

Wichita, Kan.

1 p.m.

University of Memphis

Wichita State

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Goodman homers twice, Tigers swept in doubleheader by Wichita State

May 20, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

WICHITA, Kan. – Despite a home run from Hunter Goodman in each half of Thursday's doubleheader, the Memphis Tigers dropped both games of the twin-bill to the Wichita State Shockers, 12-5 and 8-5 respectively. Goodman extended his AAC home run lead with his 18^th and 19^th home runs of the season. His 19 home runs rank fourth in the nation.

Memphis (16-26, 6-24) got out to an early lead in the opener against Liam Eddy (ND). The Tigers held the advantage through the first half of the contest, but Wichita State (29-20, 17-12) used a six-run fifth inning and a four-run seventh frame to turn an early Memphis lead into a Shockers rout. In the opening inning, Alec Trela connected on his 10^th home run of the season, a two-run blast that had Memphis in front 2-0 before the Shockers stepped to the plate. The Tigers added a run an inning later on a sacrifice fly from Chris Swanberg, while Carson Stinnett (ND) posted two straight scoreless inning to open his outing, as Memphis led 3-0 after two frames.

The Shockers, who entered the series in third place in the AAC standings, got on the board in the third, as Couper Cornblum led off the inning with a single, while Jack Sigrist hit a two-run home run to left field, his fourth home run of the season. Stinnett escaped any further damage in the inning and followed up with a scoreless fourth frame, as he allowed two runs on two hits over four innings in a no-decision.

After the Tigers increased their lead to 4-2 on Goodman's solo home run in the fifth inning, Memphis went to the bullpen for the back half of the game. Dalton Kendrick (L, 0-3) gave up consecutive singles to the first two men that he faced, and while he then got Seth Stroh to ground out, each of the next two Wichita State hitters reached on an error by the left side of the Tigers' infield. An error by Ben Brooks plated two runs and tied the game, while a throwing error by Trela plated Andrew Stewart and put the Shockers ahead 5-4. Ross Cadena singled with one out, Kendrick retired Paxton Wallace, but then hit Hunter Gibson, which loaded the bases. Corrigan Bartlett took advantage, as he cleared the bases with a three-run triple, which made it a six-run inning and put the Shockers ahead 8-4 after five innings. Kendrick allowed nine runs but only four earned over 2.1 frames.

A throwing error by Cadena plated Zach Wilson in the seventh, which pulled the Tigers within three, but the Shockers immediately answered and put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh inning against Kendrick and Chase Kessinger. Wichita State had six hits in the inning, as Bartlett, Garrett Kocis, Stroh, and Stewart each had an RBI in the frame. Wichita State led 12-5 after seven innings. LJ McDonough and Foster Gifford each spun a scoreless frame out of the bullpen that secured Wichita State's victory. In relief of Eddy, Ryan Stuempfig (W, 6-0) pitched 2.1 innings and allowed just an unearned run.

In the nightcap of the split-time doubleheader, the Tigers never led, though were in the thick of it until the final third. In his first start of the season, JT Durham (L, 0-1), gave up an RBI single to Bartlett in the first inning and a solo home run to Wallace in the third, as Wichita State led 2-0 after three innings.

The Tigers got to Jace Kaminska (W, 7-1) in the middle portion of the game, but the top pitcher on the Shockers' staff held the Tigers to just two runs over five innings. Goodman led off the fourth frame with a solo home run, his 19^th home run on the season, but Kaminska retired the next three in order. After the Shockers plated a pair in the home half of the fourth, Memphis got a two-out RBI single from Ian Bibiloni and had the bases loaded for Trela, but the senior flied out to right field. Memphis trailed 4-2 after 4.5 innings.

Aaron Bechtel relieved the Wichita State starter to begin the sixth inning. Taylor Howell doubled with one out, while two batters later, Swanberg connected on his second single in as many innings, which scored Howell and pulled the Tigers within a run. The Shockers led 4-3 after 5.5 frames, but Memphis was never able to tie or take the lead.

After he spun a scoreless sixth inning, Walker Brockhouse retired the leadoff man in the seventh before three straight Shockers reached base. Cornblum walked and Kocis tucked a two-run home run just inside the right field foul pole. Three of the next four Wichita State hitters drew a walk, which loaded the bases with two outs, as Memphis turned to Reed Harding out of the bullpen. Harding gave up a two-run single to Wallace, which made it a four-run frame and put Wichita State ahead 8-3. The Tigers got two runs in the ninth off of Cameron Bye but couldn't get the tying run into the on-deck circle, as the Shockers picked up an 8-5 win that earned them a doubleheader sweep. It was the sixth doubleheader sweep against the Tigers this season.

In need of a win in the third game of the series to try to set up a potential series split, the Tigers will turn to Landon Kelly (2-2, 6.42) Friday night. After starting eight of his first nine appearances, Kelly has come out of the bullpen each of his last four times on the mound. Last time out, the righty worked two-hitless innings vs. Houston. For the Shockers, Preston Snavely (3-6, 5.16) is slated to take the mound. The Wichita State senior has given up at least four runs in each of his last five outings, all Shockers' losses. Prior to that five-game stretch, Snavely had a 3.35 ERA and had gone at least seven innings in three straight starts.

The penultimate game of the 2021 regular season is set for 6 p.m. Friday in Wichita, while the regular season finale is slated for 12 p.m. Sunday at Eck Stadium.