Tigers Drop Series Rubber Match to South Florida, 5-3

Sunday, March 24

Tampa, Fla.

12 P.M.

University of Memphis

12-14, 1-2

South Florida

14-10, 2-1

Memphis

South Florida

Photo by: Brock Busick

Tigers Drop Series Rubber Match to South Florida, 5-3

Mar 24, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Memphis baseball team dropped the series rubber match at South Florida 5-3 on Sunday afternoon at USF Baseball Stadium, as the Bulls took the series two games to one.

The Tigers dropped to 12-14 overall (1-2 AAC) with the loss while the Bulls improved to 14-10 (2-1 AAC) on the season.

"Tough weekend overall after a great Friday night," head coach Matt Riser said. "In all reality, we just didn't play good defense on Saturday and Sunday. We have to be better defensively and get that cleaned up. We got our first taste of conference play, but now it's time to get back on the horse and get ready for next week."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Tigers jumped out to an early lead after plating a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Riley Davis got the start in left field and singled in Jake Curtis with a base hit through the left side of the infield in his first at-bat of the weekend. The next batter, Will Marcy, slapped one the other way through the right side to drive in Brennan DuBose and give Memphis a 2-0 lead.
• South Florida chipped away and added a run in the third inning and a second run in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2.
• A fielder's choice in the bottom of the fifth allowed a run to score and gave South Florida its first lead of the game at 3-2. The Bulls tacked on one more in the frame on an RBI single by Marcus Brodil to go up 4-2.
• In the top of the sixth, an infield single by Jonah Sutton and an error on the play allowed Pierre Seals to score unearned and trimmed the USF lead to just a run.
• South Florida added a fifth run in the bottom of the eighth inning on an infield single by Eric Snow. The Tigers were unable to get anything going in the top of the ninth and dropped the game 5-3 as the Bulls took the series.

NOTABLES
• Daunte Stuart reached base three times with a walk and a pair of HBP, and Baskin went 1-for-4 with a single as both Tigers extended their respective on-base streaks to 44 and 39 games.
• Marcy went 2-for-5 from the top of the Memphis lineup with a double and an RBI. His leadoff double in the top of the first was the lone extra-base hit of the game for the Tigers.
• Sutton went 1-for-1 after replacing DuBose behind the plate midway through the game.
• Davis ended the day 1-for-4 with an RBI.
• Caden Robinson started on the mound and took the loss for the Tigers to go to 1-2 on the year. He went 4.1 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, three walks and three hit batsmen.
• Cade Davis was effective in two innings of relief. He allowed no runs and just a pair of hits, striking out three and working around three free passes.
• Brayden Sanders pitched the final 1.2 innings and struck out three.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers head back to Memphis and will get ready to welcome Lipscomb (4-17) to FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field on Tuesday afternoon at 4 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.