Tigers Take Game Two vs. UT Martin, 7-3

Wednesday, February 28

Memphis, Tenn.

4 P.M.

University of Memphis

5-5

UT Martin

4-5

UT Martin

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Feb 28, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis baseball team took the second of two midweek games at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field from the Skyhawks of UT Martin, 7-3, on Wednesday afternoon to move back to .500 on the season (5-5).

The Tigers fell behind 3-0 in the first inning but rallied to score seven unanswered runs and hang zeroes on the board the rest of the way for the Skyhawks, who fell to 4-5 on the season with the loss.

"I thought [tonight] was one of our more complete games," head coach Matt Riser said. "We pitched it well, gave them three in the first but then eight-straight zeroes after that to a team who has been swinging it well all year. Zero errors was great to see. We went 4-for-4 stealing bags and they were 0-for-3, so when you talk about manufacturing runs it was good to see us be able to score seven runs and manufacture on a cold night."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Skyhawks came out hot after scoring 10 runs in the first game between the two teams on Tuesday afternoon and put up three runs in the first inning on an RBI groundout and a pair of two-out, run-scoring hits.
• The Tigers were bailed out by a bases-loaded, two-out error by the UT Martin third baseman in the bottom of the second that allowed both Aaron Smigelski and Brennan DuBose to score unearned.
• Memphis tied the game in the third inning on a Smigelski sac-fly that brought home Daunte Stuart.
• Smigelski logged his second sac-fly and RBI of the game in the fifth inning – again scoring Stuart – to give the Tigers their first lead of the day.
• Memphis tacked on runs in the sixth and seventh innings on infield singles by Austin Baskin and Shane Cox, who made his first start of the season at first base in the win.
• Baskin came in to score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth for the Tigers' seventh and final run of the game as they evened the season series with the Skyhawks at one apiece.

NOTABLES
• Seth Garner made his first start of the season on the mound and went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four and walking just one.
• Freshman Malik Harris pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Garner and earned the first win of his collegiate career, allowing just two hits and punching out a pair.
• Logan Rushing threw a hitless seventh inning of relief, walking one and striking out one.
• Brayden Sanders notched his second save of the season in dominating fashion. The Olive Branch, Miss., native used just 10 pitches in the eighth to strike out all three batters he faced before striking out the first two batters he faced in the ninth. Sanders (0.00 ERA) induced a three-pitch ground out to second base to end it and has now allowed just one hit in four innings of work this season while retiring nine of his 12 earned outs via the strikeout.
• Baskin tallied half of the Tigers hits in the win from the three spot in the order, going 3-for-5 with three singles and a run scored.
• Smigelski went 1-for-2 with a pair of sac-fly and RBI, also scoring a run.
• Stuart ended the game 1-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and extended his on-base streak to 10 games while hitting safely in nine of those contests to start the season.
• Cox went 1-for-3 with an RBI in his first start of the campaign.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers are back at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field on Friday at 4 p.m. as they welcome Wright State (2-5) to the Bluff City for a three-game weekend 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.