Tigers Fall to Blue Hose, 4-1, in Second Game of Grind City Classic

Saturday, March 9

Memphis, Tenn.

5 P.M.

University of Memphis

7-9

Presbyterian

9-6

Presbyterian

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Tigers Fall to Blue Hose, 4-1, in Second Game of Grind City Classic

Mar 09, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis baseball team dropped its second game of the Inaugural Grind City Classic to Presbyterian, 4-1, on Saturday evening at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field in the four-team, round-robin style tournament hosted by the Tigers.

The Tigers fell to 7-9 on the season with the loss while the Blue Hose improved to 9-6 overall.

"We gave ourselves a chance there at the end, but we are in a serious rut that we have to get out of," head coach Matt Riser said. "I don't care what it looks like, don't care how we do it – tomorrow's a day it doesn't matter what happens, you don't lose. If we come out and score 10 in the first or give up 10 in the first, tomorrow is a day you have to take no matter what the situation is."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Blue Hose had the bats going early and got on the board in the first inning on a one-out RBI single by Rhogue Wallace. A sacrifice-fly the next at-bat for Presbyterian plated a second run to give it a 2-0 lead.
• One of the nation's leading hitters, Joel Dragoo (.532 BA, 6 HR, 30 RBI), laced an RBI triple into the right-field corner to plate a third run for the Blue Hose in the second inning to give Presbyterian a 3-0 lead. The Blue Hose added a fourth run in the third inning on an error by shortstop Jake Curtis.
• Right-hander Seth Garner had a career night in relief of left-handed starter Luke Ellis. Garner went five innings and matched a career-high eight strikeouts while not allowing a single hit and walking just two.
• The Memphis offense struggled to give Garner much help, mustering just five hits on the night. The Tigers got their lone run of the contest on one swing of the bat by Pierre Seals, who launched a solo shot deep to left-center field (425 feet, 109 MPH exit velocity) in the fifth inning.

NOTABLES
• Garner recorded season highs in innings pitched (5.0) and strikeouts (8) while also matching his career-high strikeout number. He didn't allow a hit and allowed just a pair of base runners (two walks).
• Will Marcy, Austin Baskin, Daunte Stuart, Seth Cox and Seals all tallied a hit in the loss. Cox laced the lone extra-base hit (an eighth-inning double) besides the Seals home run.
• Seals hit his fifth long ball of the season and drove in his 11^th run.
• Baskin extended his on-base streak to 29 games dating back to last season, going 1-for-4.
• Ellis took his first loss of the season after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out five and walking a pair over three innings.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers are back at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field on Sunday at 2 p.m. against Jackson State (11-4) for their third and final game of the Grind City Classic.

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.