Tigers Finish Season with Senior Day Win Over Wichita State

Saturday, May 18

Memphis, Tenn.

1 P.M.

University of Memphis

23-32, 10-17

Wichita State

29-27, 15-12

Wichita State

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Tigers Finish Season with Senior Day Win Over Wichita State

May 18, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis baseball team finished its season with an 11-10 win over Wichita State on Senior Day at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field in the finale of a three-game American Athletic Conference series.

The Tigers improved to 23-32 overall (10-17 AAC) with the win to wrap the season as the Shockers fell to 29-27 (15-12 AAC).

"We got down by four runs early, and it's easy to mail it in after a six-hour game the night before, but they knew it was the last one," head coach Matt Riser said. "The seniors stepped up. Daunte Stuart throws the big blow to get us back in it, then it was back and forth before Tyler Heckert came through to tie it with the big home run. Riley Davis comes up with a big swing to give us the lead late and then Pierce Leavengood finds a way to move the baseball and get us a very important insurance run. Then, for Jake Curtis to make the final play, a guy who left it all out there the entire time, I wouldn't have it any other way."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Shockers jumped out to an early lead that was jump started with a two-run home run by Seth Stroh in the second inning. Stroh added an RBI with a third-inning double, and Camden Johnson drove in a run with a two-out RBI single to make the score 4-0.
• Daunte Stuart put the Tigers on the board with a big three-run home run in the bottom of the third to trim the WSU lead to a run.
• Memphis pushed across three more runs in the bottom of the fourth on an infield single by Jake Curtis and back-to-back bases-loaded walks by Jacob Compton and Pierre Seals to give the Tigers a 6-4 advantage.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Seals singled to the opposite field and drove in Stuart to grow the lead to three.
• A pinch-hit RBI single by Wichita State's Jaden Gustafson in the seventh cut the Tiger lead to a pair before Josh Livingston put the Shockers back in front, 9-7, with a grand slam to deep right field.
• Tyler Heckert stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and delivered a clutch, two-run, no-doubt shot to left field for just his second home run of his senior season to tie the game at nine runs apiece.
• Riley Davis singled to right-center field in the bottom of the eighth to give the Tigers the lead back as Seals came around to score. Pierce Leavengood grounded out the next at-bat but drove in what proved to be the game-winning run to make the score 11-9.
• Johnson homered for the Shockers (solo) in the top of the ninth with one out in the inning to trim the Tiger lead to a run. However, reliever Seth Cox got a fly out to Heckert in center field and a ground out to Curtis to end the game and notch his first-career save in his first appearance on the mound since March 6 at Ole Miss.

NOTABLES
• The Tigers honored 11 seniors before the game on Senior Day: Brennan DuBose, David Warren, JT Durham, Jackson Lyons, Leavengood, Heckert, Davis, Stuart, Austin Baskin, Curtis and Compton.
• RHP Caden Robinson started his 14^th game of the season on the mound and was sharp early. He threw 4.1 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out a season-high six Shockers.
• Lefty Logan Rushing pitched 2.1 innings of relief and earned the win. He allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three.
• Cox earned the first save of his career after recording the final two outs of the game.
• Curtis went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored to finish his Tiger career.
• Seals finished the day 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, a run scored and a walk.
• Heckert homered for the second time of the season and ended the game 1-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases.
• Stuart's three-run home run was his eighth of the season and he ended the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, three RBI and a walk.
• DuBose went 1-for-4 from the leadoff spot and scored twice with a stolen base to wrap his Memphis career.
• Davis and Leavengood both drove in runs and tallied a hit.
• Stuart and Heckert hit home runs No. 67 and 68 for the Tigers this season. The 68 big flies are tied for the fifth-most in a single season in program history with the 1981 team.

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