Tigers Drop Extra-Inning Marathon, 6-5, at JSU on Opening Day

Friday, February 16

Jacksonville, Ala.

3 P.M.

University of Memphis

0-1

Jacksonville State

1-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Memphis	0	2	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	9	0
Jacksonville State	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	8	2

David Warren at Jacksonville State, Feb. 16, 2024

Photo by: Brock Busick

Tigers Drop Extra-Inning Marathon, 6-5, at JSU on Opening Day

Feb 16, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The University of Memphis baseball team opened its 2024 season in Jacksonville, Alabama on Friday afternoon, dropping a 6-5 heartbreaker in 13 innings to Jacksonville State in game one of a three-game weekend series at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.

"We're going to grow from scars, obviously this one cuts a little deep," head coach Matt Riser said. "You don't expect to go 13 innings on opening night, but the good thing that showed is that we fought. Now it's just figuring out how to do that and channel it in the right direction."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• JSU struck first when Brennen Norton drove in a run on a groundout to Tiger shortstop Jake Curtis.
• In the top of the second, catcher Brennan DuBose lined a two-out single to right field that brought home Daunte Stuart and Seth Cox to give Memphis a 2-1 lead.
• Seth Cox added to Memphis' lead in the top of the sixth, blasting a three-run home run that traveled 406 feet over the left-field fence to make the score 5-1, Tigers.
• The Gamecocks responded immediately with three runs in the bottom half of the sixth on an RBI double, a groundout and a wild pitch to trim Memphis' lead to one.
• Bear Madliak came up clutch for the Gamecocks with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to knot the score at 5-5.
• The game remained tied until the bottom of the 13^th frame when Norton connected on a walk-off solo home run to left, ending the Opening Day marathon.

NOTABLES
• Right-hander David Warren got the Opening Day nod and threw five innings of one-run, three-hit baseball while punching out five and walking just one.
• Seth Cox ended the game 2-for-6 with a home run, a double, three RBI and a pair of runs.
• DuBose went 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI and runs scored.
• The 2022 AAC RBI leader Compton doubled in his first at-bat back as a Tiger after returning to Memphis as a transfer from South Carolina.
• Pierre Seals, Austin Baskin, Aaron Smigelski, Daunte Stuart and Curtis all logged a hit.
• Right-hander Cade Davis made his Memphis debut and pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
• Sophomore Seth Garner made his first relief appearance as a Tiger, going three innings while allowing just one run on a pair of hits. He struck out one and walked one.
• Curtis slid from shortstop to the mound in the 10^th inning and pitched three strong innings for Memphis. The two-way player struck out three and had not allowed a hit until Norton connected for the walk-off shot.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers are back at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium tomorrow afternoon for game two of the series at 2 p.m. Redshirt-sophomore LHP Luke Ellis is scheduled to make his season debut on the mound.

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