Tigers Take Rubber Match 5-4 to Win Series at Florida Atlantic

Sunday, April 13

Boca Raton, Fla.

11 A.M.

University of Memphis

14-21, 3-9

Florida Atlantic

24-11, 6-6

Memphis

Florida Atlantic

Photo by: Brock Busick

Tigers Take Rubber Match 5-4 to Win Series at Florida Atlantic

Apr 13, 2025 | Baseball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The University of Memphis baseball team earned an American Athletic Conference series win over Florida Atlantic on Sunday, taking the series finale and rubber match by a score of 5-4 at FAU Baseball Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida.

The Tigers improved to 14-21 (3-9 American) on the season while the Owls fell to 24-11 (6-6 American) overall. Memphis handed Florida Atlantic back-to-back losses after snapping its five-game winning streak on Saturday. The five-game streak for the Owls included a sweep at preseason-AAC favorite East Carolina last weekend – the first time ECU had been swept in conference play since 2018.

"It was a good weekend for us," head coach Matt Riser said. "These are the games we've been playing pretty much all year long, one or two-run games. Why would it be any different this weekend? It was a great job by our guys getting a good start offensively and then the bullpen was huge down the stretch."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• A four-run first inning for the Tigers gave them an early lead that they would never relinquish. A leadoff walk by Cade Greer was followed up with back-to-back singles by Will Vasseur and Chase Nixon, as Nixon's RBI knock plated Greer for the first run of the game.
• A one-out single by Cy Turner scored Vasseur to make it a two-run lead before catcher Justin Fogel went opposite field and cleared the bases with a two-out, two-run double to make it a 4-0 Tiger lead.
• After a one-two-three first inning by lefty starter Isaac Lucas, Memphis added a run on an opposite-field solo shot by Greer in the top of the second to grow the lead to five.
• The Owls got on the board in the fourth inning when freshman Kyle Boylston singled to center field and drove in a run. The big damage came with two outs in the inning when reigning AAC Player of the Week Brando Leroux drove in a pair with a single to right-center field to trim the Tiger lead to a pair.
• After five innings of work, Lucas turned the ball over to RHP Will Howell. The redshirt freshman worked around a hit and a walk before getting a 6-4-3 double play to end the scoring threat in the sixth.
• Florida Atlantic drew back-to-back walks to begin the seventh inning before right-hander Malik Harris entered and limited the damage to just a run on a one-out single.
• Harris returned to the mound in the eighth inning with a 5-4 lead and threw up a zero before handing the ball off the closer Brayden Sanders in the ninth. Sanders recorded two quick outs before allowing a single that brought the would-be go-ahead run to the plate. He proceeded to get a ground out for the final out of the game to clinch the game, series and his third save of the campaign.

NOTABLES
• Lucas earned the win to improve to 3-0 on the season. He went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits and five walks, striking out four.
• Greer homered for the second time this season and ended the game 1-for-3 with a walk and a pair of runs scored.
• Fogel drove in two runs and ended the day 1-for-3 with a double.
• Nixon and Turner both went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Vasseur finished 1-for-4 with a single and a run.
• Howell's scoreless inning lowered his season ERA to 1.62 (16.2 innings).
• Harris lowered his ERA to 0.96 with his two scoreless frames.
• Preseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch-list honoree Brayden Sanders notched his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth (one hit).

UP NEXT
• The Tigers hit the road for Conway, Arkansas, for a 6 p.m. game vs. Central Arkansas on Tuesday night.

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.