Tigers Even Series with AAC Leader UTSA to Force Sunday Rubber Match

Saturday, April 13

Memphis, Tenn.

2 P.M.

University of Memphis

18-18, 6-5

UTSA

20-15, 8-3

UTSA

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Tigers Even Series with AAC Leader UTSA to Force Sunday Rubber Match

Apr 13, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis baseball team bounced back from its game one loss and scrapped out a convincing, 12-5 win over American Athletic Conference leader UTSA on Saturday afternoon at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field to even the series at a game apiece.

The Tigers improved to .500 on the season, moving to 18-18 overall (6-5 AAC) with the win as the Roadrunners dropped to 20-15 overall (8-3 AAC).

"It was a good job today bouncing back from last night," head coach Matt Riser said. "We lost the round last night, but there was another round today and we needed to get back in the fight, and we did a good job of that. We won a round now and now we set up a winner-take-all game tomorrow."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• UTSA struck first with a run in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by shortstop Matt King.
• Jacob Compton drove in the first run of the game for the Tigers with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one run apiece.
• The Roadrunners pushed across another run in the top of the second inning to take a brief 2-1 lead, but the Tigers answered with a five-run bottom of the second to give Memphis a 6-2 lead. Will Marcy ripped a two-run double down the left-field line that scored Jonah Sutton and Shane Cox – who hustled all the way around from first to put the Tigers up 3-2. Later in the inning, Austin Baskin connected for a three-run shot to left-center field – his fifth of the season – to give Memphis a four-run cushion.
• The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the third when Pierre Seals came in to score on an errant throw back to the pitcher by the UTSA catcher.
• UTSA's Broc Parmer led off the top of the fourth inning with a solo home run, and a second Roadrunner scored later in the frame on a fielder's choice to trim the Memphis lead to three.
• Seals singled back up the middle and drove in Daunte Stuart in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 8-4, Tigers. In the fifth, shortstop Jake Curtis delivered a one-out, two-run home run to left-center field to put Memphis up by six.
• A one-out RBI single for the Roadrunners in the top of the sixth would be their final run of the contest. Memphis added on another pair of runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Shane Cox and Marcy in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 12-5, which proved to be final.
• Lefty Luke Ellis entered in the sixth in relief of right-handed starter Seth Garner and was effective after allowing a run in the sixth, throwing up zeroes in the final three frames.
• Garner went five-full innings and allowed three earned runs on eight hits, striking out five and walking none to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the campaign. Ellis earned his second-consecutive save in relief after being moved to the bullpen from the starting rotation a week ago. The lefty allowed just a pair of hits and a run while striking out three.

NOTABLES
• Eight of the nine Tiger starters recorded hits in the win as they tallied 15 on the afternoon. Six Tigers registered multi-hit games: Marcy (2), Baskin (2), Stuart (2), Seals (3), Seth Cox (2) and Shane Cox (2).
• The three-hit game for Seals was his fourth this season and marked his 14^th multi-hit game of the year as he raised his season batting average to .321 – tied with Stuart for the team lead.
• Baskin slugged his fifth home run of the season and the 22^nd of his Tiger career in the win. The senior raised his season batting average to .301 and drove in his 26^th, 27^th and 28^th runs of the season.
• Marcy drove in three runs from the leadoff spot in the Memphis lineup. He also walked once and scored a run.
• The home run for Curtis was his fourth of the season and gave him his 14^th and 15^th RBI.
• Shane Cox, Seals and Compton all drove in a run in the win.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers are back at FedExPark tomorrow for the series finale and rubber match with the Roadrunners at 1 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.