Stutts’ Gem in the Circle Powers Memphis to First American Win over East Carolina, 2-1

Friday, March 20

Memphis, Tenn.

5 p.m.

University of Memphis

8-20, 1-6

East Carolina

20-11, 20-11

East Carolina

Memphis

Stutts’ Gem in the Circle Powers Memphis to First American Win over East Carolina, 2-1

Mar 20, 2026 | Softball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis (8-20, 1-6 American) softball team picked up its first American Conference win of the 2026 campaign in a 2-1 victory over East Carolina (20-11, 4-3 American) Friday evening.

Despite facing multiple high-leverage situations in the circle, freshman pitcher Avery Stutts hunkered down for a complete-game victory while stranding 10 Pirate batters.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Stutts immediately worked through pressure as a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with two outs, but a flyout by the next batter got the Tigers out of the inning without allowing a run.
After a leadoff double by ECU's Lillian Martineau, a sacrifice bunt followed by a double off the glove of a leaping Ariel Davis brought in the first run of the game for the Pirates.
Deana Cunningham led Memphis' immediate response with an RBI double off the left-field wall to bring Kennedy Semien in.
- Semien singled up the middle earlier in the inning.
Stutts stranded another pair of East Carolina hitters with a swinging strikeout after back-to-back two-out singles.
Memphis took the lead in the third on an error by the ECU defense. Jasmine Mack hit a hard grounder that sprung out of the glove of East Carolina's Trinity Nichols, allowing Ariel Davis to score.
In the top of the fifth inning, Stutts induced a popout with two outs to strand another pair of runners.
Faith Brown singled in the bottom of the fifth and reached second after a stolen base but was stranded after Mack lined out.
Stutts picked up a pair of strikeouts in the sixth in a 10-pitch inning.
The possible tying and winning runs for East Carolina were stranded when Stutts induced a pair of groundouts to end the game for a complete game victory.

NOTABLES

Memphis' win was its first against East Carolina since the 2023 season and the first home win for the Tigers against the Pirates at home since 2022.
- The win also snaps a seven-game losing streak and an eight-game losing streak in conference games dating back to last season.
The Tiger defense did not commit an error for the first time since a March 3 doubleheader win against Oakland.
- Memphis is now 4-2 in games where it commits zero errors.
For the first time this season, Memphis earned a victory in a game where it was out-hit by its opponent.
Memphis' now 22 sacrifice hits would be tied for 13^th-most in the nation this season as of tonight.
- Isabella Hune and Paris Brienesse each logged a sacrifice bunt in the win.
Avery Stutts earned her third win of the season with a 101-pitch complete-game win, striking out four while only allowing one run.
- All three of Stutts' wins this season have come in complete games.
Deana Cunningham picked up her seventh RBI of the season on an RBI double.
- It the only RBI for the Tigers as the second run came in on an error.
Ariel Davis reached twice in the win, both times on a hit-by-pitch, and was the eventual game-winning run.
- It was the fifth time this season that a Memphis batter has been hit twice in the same game, along with being the second time it has happened to Davis this season.
Faith Brown recorded a hit and stolen base in the victory.
- Brown is now 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts this season.
Kennedy Semien singled for her 20^th hit of the season and scored to tie the game in the second inning.
Kayla Clement drew a walk in her eighth start of the season.

UP NEXT

The Tigers look for a series victory tomorrow in the middle game of the series against the Pirates, slated for a 2 p.m. start at Tigers Softball Complex, also with a broadcast on ESPN+.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For complete information on Memphis Tigers Softball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram , and Facebook.