Tigers Use Ninth-Inning Rally to Top Tulane and Even Series

Saturday, April 1

New Orleans, La.

6 P.M.

University of Memphis

16-12, 0

Tulane

7-20, 0

MEMPHIS

Tulane

Tigers Use Ninth-Inning Rally to Top Tulane and Even Series

Apr 01, 2023 | Baseball

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The University of Memphis baseball team rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to defeat Tulane, 3-1, on Saturday night at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium to force a Sunday rubber match.

With the win, Memphis improved to 16-12 on the season overall and 1-1 in American Athletic Conference play.

"Fowler came out and shoved and did what he needed to do, putting up a bunch of zeroes for us," head coach Kerrick Jackson said. "We got to the ninth and pushed some runs across. Man, these guys have some fight in them. It was a great team win, and we put ourselves in position to come out and win the first series of the conference season."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Memphis and Tulane were locked in a pitcher's dual early. Lefty Dalton Fowler brought his best stuff, striking out 12 and allowing three hits through five innings while Tulane starter Chandler Welch matched him, allowing just three Memphis hits through his first five frames. Fowler recorded eight-consecutive outs as strikeouts from the third through fifth innings.
• Lefty Luke Ellis entered in the sixth for the Tigers after 110 pitches by Fowler.
• Green Wave first baseman Brady Marget untied the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, sneaking a solo shot just inside the right-field foul pole to give Tulane a 1-0 lead.
• The Tigers went into the ninth inning down a run and needing a rally. RJ Jimerson and Cameron Benson led off the inning with back-to-back walks, and Tyler Heckert came in to run for Jimerson.
• Jonah Sutton singled through the left side on a textbook hit and run to score Heckert and tie the game, then Jake Curtis laid down a bunt and the throw to first was wild, allowing Benson to score from second and give the Tigers their first lead of the night. Sutton then came in to score on a wild pitch to give Memphis a 3-1 lead and a big insurance run.
• Lefty closer Dalton Kendrick entered in the ninth and slammed the door on the Green Wave, striking out a pair before getting a fly out to right to clinch the comeback win.

NOTABLES
• Fowler threw five innings of three-hit, shutout ball while striking out a dozen for a new season high and the most since he struck out 13 against Tulane on April 2, 2022.
• Sutton ended the night 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to tie the game in the ninth.
• Curtis was 2-for-3 and laid a sac bunt that brought in the eventual winning run on a throwing error.
• Benson hit his sixth double of the season and scored the go-ahead run in the ninth.
• Carson Stinnett pitched 0.2 innings after entering in the eighth inning and earned the win to go to 1-0.
• Kendrick slammed the door in the ninth and picked up his NCAA-leading eighth save of the season.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers are back at Greer Field tomorrow for the series finale of the series with Tulane at 1 p.m.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Baseball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.