Goodman’s grand slam helps Memphis cap off regular season with win

Saturday, May 22

Wichita, Kan.

12 P.M.

University of Memphis

Wichita State

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Goodman’s grand slam helps Memphis cap off regular season with win

May 22, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score

WICHITA, Kan. – For the second time in three days, Preseason All-American Hunter Goodman launched two home runs for the Memphis Tigers, this time in a 9-4 win over the Wichita State Shockers. After a home run in each half of Thursday's doubleheader, Goodman extended his team-lead in the first frame of Saturday's finale with a solo home run, his 20^th of the season, while he pushed himself towards the NCAA lead with a grand slam in the fifth inning, his 21^st home run of the season.

Ahead 1-0 after half an inning on Goodman's first home run of the day, Memphis (17-37, 7-25) saw the lead disappear in the home half of the second, as Jack Sigrist tied the game with an RBI single off of Blake Wimberley (ND). Memphis took the lead back in the fourth on a solo home run from Alec Trela, his 11^th of the season, and never relinquished it. The Tigers led 2-1 after 3.5 innings.

Things fell apart for Gareth Stroh (L, 0-1) in the fifth inning. After the Wichita State starter retired the first batter of the inning, Ben Brooks doubled, and Braden Webb followed with a walk. Stroh got Zach Wilson to fly out but then hit Ian Bibiloni, which loaded the bases. Ryan Stuempfig relieved Stroh out of the Shockers' bullpen and was quickly greeted with Goodman's grand slam, which blew the game open. Goodman's second home run of the afternoon put the Tigers up 6-1 and proved to be the game-winning hit.

After four frames from Wimberley, James Muse (W, 1-0) worked the next three innings in scoreless fashion. With the Tigers getting an insurance RBI single from Taylor Howell in the sixth frame, Muse pitched into the home half of the eighth ahead 7-1. Down to their final six outs, Wichita State (30-21, 18-13) cut the deficit in half against Muse, as Garrett Kocis hit a two-run home run, while two batters later, Seth Stroh ended Muse's afternoon with an RBI double. Memphis led 7-4 heading to the final frame.

In the ninth, the Tigers got two runs back with two outs against Derek Shaver. Singles from Wilson and Bibiloni followed by a successful double steal put two men in scoring position for Trela, who tallied his second and third RBIs of the day with a single to right field. Trela's two-run base hit made it 9-4 Tigers, the eventual final. Takoda Metoxen (SV, 5), who got the final out of the eighth inning, worked a perfect ninth frame to secure Memphis' victory in the regular season finale.

Off of the win, the Tigers will head to the AAC Championship in Clearwater, Fla. as the No. 8 seed. Memphis will open the tournament Tuesday, May 25 against No. 1 East Carolina. The matchup between the Tigers and Pirates will be available on ESPN+ and begin 47 minutes after the conclusion of the opening game of the tournament between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.