Tigers Drop Game One of Weekend Series to Bowling Green

Friday, February 23

Memphis, Tenn.

4 P.M.

University of Memphis

2-4

Bowling Green

2-3

Bowling Green

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Tigers Drop Game One of Weekend Series to Bowling Green

Feb 23, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis baseball team dropped game one of a three-game series to Bowling Green, 9-1, on Friday afternoon at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Tigers struggled to get things going against BGSU starting pitcher DJ Newman.

"That was a good arm. I was envisioning this to be more of a 3-2, 2-1 or maybe 4-3 game, but we have to manufacture some runs and move the baseball," head coach Matt Riser said. "I didn't think it was a lack of effort tonight, but maybe a lack of mental toughness. That doesn't mean we're mentally weak, but at the end of the day we complicated some things."

The Tigers dropped to 2-4 on the season with the loss while Bowling Green improved to 2-2 with the game-one win.

Newman was locked in from the beginning for the Falcons, retiring six of the first seven Tigers he faced with the lone hit coming on a leadoff double in the second inning by Austin Baskin. An infield single with two outs in the third inning by Will Marcy and a walk by Daunte Stuart in the seventh were the only other Tigers to reach base in Newman's seven innings of work as he struck out 11.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Memphis right-hander David Warren made his second start of the season coming off a strong five innings of work at Jacksonville State on opening day. Warren struggled with his command from the jump, issuing three walks and hitting a Falcon in the first three frames. However, the staff veteran was able to work out of trouble to keep the game at 0-0 after three.
• The Falcons finally broke through against Warren in the fourth inning with a three spot. Warren got a quick ground out before issuing his fourth free pass of the game, leading to an RBI single by Garrett Wright. Newman carried his success from the mound to the dish – also serving as the team's designated hitter – and delivered a two-out, two-run double to help his own cause and put BGSU up 3-0.
• Bowling Green tacked on a run in the fifth – unearned – following a two-out error by the Tigers that led to a bases-loaded walk to force in the run.
• Freshman Malik Harris kept the Falcons off the board in the sixth inning as he made his second appearance of the season and worked a one-two-three frame.
• BGSU tacked on five more runs from the seventh to the ninth inning – two more off the bat of the starting pitcher Newman with a two-run blast for his third hit of the game. The Tigers got on the board in the ninth inning on a two-out double by Seth Cox that scored Riley Davis following his pinch-hit walk.

NOTABLES
• Cox drove in the lone run of the game for Memphis after entering in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter. He ended 1-for-2 with an RBI double.
• Warren went 4.2 innings and took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and striking out a pair. The senior was plagued by free passes, issuing six walks and hitting a pair of Falcons.
• Davis scored the only run for the Tigers.
• Baskin doubled and ended the day 1-for-3.
• Marcy has hit safely in back-to-back games in his first two starts of the season (both at DH).
• Daunte Stuart saw his five-game hit streak to open the season come to an end but reached base with a walk to extend his on-base streak to six games.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers are back at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. for game two with Bowling Green and a chance to even the series.

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.