Tigers rout UCF in game one, come up just short in game two

Friday, April 30

Orlando, Fla.

1 p.m.

University of Memphis

13-26, 0

UCF

19-22, 0

Memphis

UCF

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Tigers rout UCF in game one, come up just short in game two

Apr 30, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ORLANDO, Fla. – Facing extreme heat and humidity for the first time this season, the Memphis Tigers had their bats come alive in a doubleheader split with the UCF Knights. Memphis scored 12 unanswered runs and run-ruled the Knights in a 12-2, seven inning, game one victory. In game two, the Tigers fell behind 8-0 in the second inning, but consistently clawed back, got the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but fell 12-10 despite seven UCF errors. Prior to Friday's doubleheader split, the Tigers had been swept in each of the previous three AAC doubleheaders.

Coming into the series after getting swept by Tulane at home and plating just seven runs across four games, Friday's opener started about as poorly as possible for the Tigers. UCF's first two batters of the game, Tom Josten and Jordan Rathbone, connected with back-to-back home runs off of Chris Durham (W, 3-5). Durham, who didn't make it out of the first inning in his start last weekend against Tulane, buckled in and ended up with one of his best starts of the season. Durham allowed just four more hits across seven innings and got credit for a complete game.

The Tigers got a run back in the second inning off of Kenny Serwa (L, 2-3) and took the lead on a two-run single from Ian Bibiloni in the third inning. Durham worked around a leadoff single in the third before the Tigers broke the game open in the fourth inning. The southpaw struck out five and didn't walk a batter over his seven-inning performance.

Memphis (13-27, 3-15) sent 14 men to the plate in a nine run fourth frame despite a leadoff strikeout. Ben Vespi relieved Serwa to start the inning and walked four straight Tigers after he struck out Ben Brooks to start the frame. Zach Wilson drew the fourth walk, which plated Austin Baskin, gave the Tigers a 4-2 lead, and sent the Knights back to the bullpen. Billy McKay entered for UCF (20-22, 8-8) and was left in to survive the frame with more than three full games remaining over the weekend. McKay induced a bases loaded ground ball from Hunter Goodman to start his outing, but the Knights couldn't get an out on the play, as two runs scored. Two batters later, Bibiloni plated a pair of runs with a single. Three batters after that, Baskin drew a bases loaded walk, while McKay then hit Bell with a pitch, which also plated a run. Braden Webb singled home Baskin and Brooks, which made it 12-2 Tigers, the eventual final. Ahead 12-2 at the stretch, Durham retired the Knights in order and wrapped up the game in just seven innings due to the mercy rule.

The back half of the doubleheader started eerily similarly to the first, as the Knights got back-to-back home runs in the first inning once again, this time from Rathbone and Josh Crouch. Carson Stinnett (L, 2-4) gave up both home runs and couldn't make it through the next inning, as UCF tagged him for five more runs as part of a six-run second inning. The Knights got a three-run home run Josten in the frame, his second home run of the doubleheader, while Stinnett left for James Muse with two men on and two outs. Gephry Pena greeted Muse with a three-run home run, UCF's fourth long ball in two innings, as the Knights led 8-0 after two frames.

Despite the early deficit and trend that looked like Memphis could get "run-ruled," the Tigers battled back. Memphis plated three in the third inning against Zack Hunsicker (W, 1-2), which cut the deficit to 8-3. The score remained such until the home half of the fifth, as UCF got two runs back in the frame against Muse on consecutive two-out RBI doubles from Alex Freeland and John Montes. The Knights led 10-3 after five innings.

Memphis continued to answer the Knights and got back into the game with a four-run sixth. Wilson picked up an RBI double, Alec Trela notched an RBI on a bases loaded HBP, Bibiloni made it 10-6 with an RBI groundout, and the Tigers pulled off a double steal that had Goodman swipe home. The Tigers trailed 10-7 after 5.5 innings.

UCF added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh against Reed Harding and Dalton Kendrick, runs that proved to be the difference in the game. Freeland ended Harding's outing with an RBI double, while Kendrick gave up a sacrifice fly to Andrew Brait. The Knights led 12-7 after seven full frames.

Down to their final six outs, the Tigers didn't go quietly. Zack Bennett began the eighth on the mound for UCF and hit the first man that he faced. Goodman then launched a two-run blast to LF to pull Memphis within three. David Litchfield entered as the fifth pitcher of the night for UCF and Trela greeted him with a double. After the UCF reliever got consecutive groundouts, Taylor Howell poked a two-out RBI single to centerfield, which brought the tying run to the plate in Bell. The Memphis right fielder grounded out to third base, as UCF clung to a 12-10 lead after 7.5 innings.

The Knights went quietly in the eighth, which set the Tigers up for an improbable comeback opportunity in the final inning. Webb drew a one out walk, while Litchfield got Wilson to fly out to centerfield. Despite being the potential tying run, UCF elected to intentionally walk Goodman, which put the tying run on base and brought the go-ahead run to the plate. On an 0-1 pitch, Litchfield got Trela to pop out on the infield grass to end the game, as UCF held on for a 12-10 win that split the doubleheader.

Off of the doubleheader split, the Tigers have a chance to earn at least their first conference series split of the season with a win on Saturday. With wins in both remaining games in Orlando, the Tigers would win their first series since March 19-21. Saturday, Jackson Cothren (1-6, 6.94) is set to start for the Tigers. Cothren has given up at least four earned runs in each of his four AAC appearances, though the righty pitched into the sixth inning last weekend against Tulane. For the Knights, AJ Jones (3-3, 6.56) is slated to start. Last time out, Jones didn't make it out of the first inning against ECU, as he gave up six runs on four hits and recorded just one out. First pitch at John Euliano Park set for 3 p.m. on ESPN+.