Warren Throws Gem, Tigers Top Owls, 2-1

Thursday, March 28

Memphis, Tenn.

6 P.M.

University of Memphis

13-15, 2-2

Florida Atlantic

14-9, 2-2

Florida Atlantic

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Mar 28, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis baseball right-handed pitcher David Warren threw a gem as the Tigers took game one of a three-game series from American Athletic Conference newcomer Florida Atlantic, 2-1, on Thursday night at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field in Memphis.

The Tigers improved to 13-15 overall (2-2 AAC) with the win as the Owls dropped to 14-9 overall (2-2 AAC).

Memphis jumped out a 2-0 lead in the second inning and it proved to be enough behind the career night on the bump from Warren. The right-hander from Dothan, Alabama, improved to 4-1 on the season behind career-high totals of 7.1 innings and 10 strikeouts while allowing just one run on four hits.

"I felt like I had command of my pitches and the quicker I got back out there [with the pace of play] the better I felt," Warren remarked. "The guys got me a two spot and it's always nice to be able to pitch with the lead. The splitter was working well today for one of the first times this year."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Tigers put a pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning to jump out to an early lead. Pierre Seals clubbed his seventh home run of the season – a no-doubter to left-center field that left the bat at 108 miles-per-hour and traveled 404 feet. Brennan DuBose doubled in shortstop Jake Curtis all the way from first for the second run of the frame.
• Warren sat down the first six Owls he faced before a single to lead off the third inning broke up the streak. He hung another zero on the board in the third inning before Florida Atlantic's Andrew McKenna homered to lead off the fourth to put the Owls on the board.
• Warren faced just 14 batters while recording the next dozen outs from the fourth through seventh innings. He issued his first free pass of the game to lead off the eighth inning before notching his 10^th punch out. A second walk led to a move to the bullpen and closer Brayden Sanders.
• Sanders got out of the jam in the eighth and came back out to finish it in the ninth. Sanders retired the first batter of the inning before a one-out double and an error led to an intentional walk to load the bases. The move paid off as the hard-throwing right-hander struck out the next two Owls swinging while running the fastball up to 96 miles-per-hour to secure the Tiger win and his conference-leading sixth save of the season.

NOTABLES
• The Tigers had just three hits in the win, all going for extra bases (two doubles, one home run).
• Warren threw seven innings or more for the third time this season en route to the win. He reached a career-high 7.1 innings and tallied a career-high 10 strikeouts to improve to 4-1 overall.
• Sanders' 1.2-inning save was his sixth of the year – No. 1 in the AAC and tied for fifth-most in the NCAA. He struck out a pair to bring his season total to 25 in 15.1 innings.
• Austin Baskin saw his 40-game on-base streak that dated back to May 2, 2023, come to an end. The streak ends as the sixth-longest in league history, just one shy of UConn's Anthony Prato's streak of 41 games for the fifth-longest in AAC history from 2018-19.
• Daunte Stuart walked to extend his on-base streak to a lengthy 46 games dating back to this time last year in the Southland Conference playing for Northwestern State.
• Seals' home run in the second inning was his seventh of the season.
• Will Marcy and DuBose both doubled in the win. DuBose drove in his 16^th run of the year.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers and Owls are back at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field tomorrow night at 6 p.m. for game two of the series. Action will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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.