Tigers Drop Game Two, 3-1, to Pirates

Saturday, March 22

Greenville, N.C.

3 P.M.

University of Memphis

11-11, 0-2

East Carolina

14-9, 2-0

Memphis

East Carolina

Photo by: Brock Busick

Mar 22, 2025 | Baseball

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The University of Memphis baseball team competed tough against preseason American Athletic Conference favorite East Carolina for the second day in a row, falling 3-1, at Lewis Field at Clark LeClair Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers moved to .500 (11-11, 0-2 AAC) on the season while the Pirates improved to 14-9 (2-0 AAC).

"It was another hard-fought game," head coach Matt Riser said. "I thought the guys competed their tails off. [David] Case weathered the storm early and made a big pitch in a big moment to keep the game where it was when we needed it … We're doing a good job of answering the bell in those moments, keeping ourselves in the ballgame to where we have a chance to win it in the ninth inning."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Lefty David Case made his sixth start of the season on the mound for the Tigers. After walking the first man he faced, he retired three-straight Pirates for a scoreless first inning.
• Case recorded two quick outs in the second inning before allowing a walk and eventually the big swing in the ballgame – a two-out, two-run shot by Braxton Tramel that just snuck over the right-field wall to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
• Case settled in after the second, throwing up zeroes for three more innings before right-hander Seth Cox relieved him of his duties in the sixth inning.
• Seth Cox sat the Pirates down in order in the sixth before allowing his only run in three innings of work on a two-out single up the middle by Dixon Williams in the seventh inning.
• The Tigers strung together some offense in the top of the eighth inning and pushed across a run on a one-out single by James Smith IV that caromed off the pitcher's foot and into right field, allowing Will Vasseur to score.
• Seth Cox sat the Pirates down in order with a pair of strikeouts in the eighth inning to give Memphis a chance in the ninth, but the Tigers went down quietly as East Carolina took the game, 3-1, and clinched a series win over the Tigers.

NOTABLES
• Smith IV went 2-for-4 and drove in Memphis' only run.
• Justin Fogel made his first start of the season in the outfield (third start overall) and went 1-for-4 from the cleanup spot.
• Shane Cox ended the day 1-for-4 with a single.
• Chase Nixon drew a pair of walks.
• Case went five innings and took the loss on the mound to go to 1-3 on the season. He allowed a pair of runs (two-run home run) on just three hits, striking out seven and walking four.
• Seth Cox allowed one run on three hits in three innings of work, striking out three and walking none.
• Catcher Jonah Sutton threw out another runner from behind the plate to make it 13-of-27 runners he has caught stealing on the season. Entering the weekend, Sutton was one shy of the national leader.

UP NEXT
• The Tigers are back at Lewis Field at Clark LeClair Stadium tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT for the series finale with the Pirates.

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.