Dugar Throws No-Hitter as Tigers Dominate Doubleheader

Tuesday, February 18

Memphis, Tenn.

Noon

University of Memphis

7-3

Mississippi Valley State

1-8

Mississippi Val. St.

Memphis

Dugar Throws No-Hitter as Tigers Dominate Doubleheader

Feb 18, 2025 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis softball dominated Mississippi Valley State by scores of 8-0 and 19-0 during Tuesday's doubleheader. In game one, Rylee Dugar recorded the 14th no-hitter in program history. In the second game of the afternoon, Drue Thomas slugged the program's 15th-ever grand slam.

GAME ONE: Memphis 8, Mississippi Valley State 0 (5 inn.)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Memphis scored three runs in the first, with Arianna Cox-Cole and Ariel Davis recording RBI singles and McKaylee Polk scoring on a fielding error on a Zoe Adebayo single.
Cox-Cole recorded her second RBI of the day with another single that would score Mia Brown.
Zoe Adebayo tripled in the bottom of the third inning and later scored from a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ariel Davis.
Cox-Cole collected her third hit of the day with an RBI triple. She would later score the second run of the inning after Taniyah Brown doubled down the left field line.
In the bottom of the fifth, Memphis reached the mercy rule on an Ariel Davis RBI single.
Rylee Dugar pitched a no-hitter in the circle, going a full five innings, striking out five batters.

NOTABLES

Rylee Dugar's no-hitter was the 14th in program history, and the most recent since Karli Perque recorded a no-hitter against Alcorn State in April of 2019.
- A walk in the third inning was the only hitter that Dugar allowed to reach first base.
Neely Taylor's nine-game hitting streak was snapped, but she extended her on-base streak to 10 games after drawing a walk to lead off the game for Memphis.
Four Tigers (Arianna Cox-Cole, Zoe Adebayo, Ariel Davis, Mia Brown) recorded multi-hit performances.

GAME TWO: Memphis 19, Mississippi Valley State 0 (5 inn.)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Tigers were quick to generate a lead as Kennedy Semien hit a solo home run to center field.
- It was the second home run of Semien's career.
Memphis continued the scoring in the first, jumping out to a two-run lead on a double by Ariel Davis.
In the second inning, nine Tigers recorded an RBI.
- Eight of Memphis' 16 runs scored in the second inning came with two outs.
Aubrey Williams began the inning with an RBI single, followed by an RBI groundout by Kennedy Semien.
Marley Maness stepped up to the plate and cleared the bases with a three-run home run, her second of the season.
Neely Taylor and Shelby Durbin would record RBIs on back-to-back plays, with Taylor singling up the middle to score one run and Durbin doubling to right center to bring two more runs home for Memphis.
The Tigers would have back-to-back scoring plays after an RBI double by Faith Brown and an RBI single by Arianna Cox-Cole.
After Kennedy Semien scored on a wild pitch and Ariel Davis drew a walk, Drue Thomas came in as a pinch hitter and hit a grand slam to left field to bring the Tigers' run total to 18.
- The home run was the first of Thomas's career and was also the 15 in Memphis softball history.
Memphis would record its 19th run of the game on an RBI groundout by Kennedy Semien.

NOTABLES

Memphis' 16-run second inning is the most in a single inning in program history.
- The previous mark was an 11-run inning against Arkansas Pine Bluff in 2022.
Neely Taylor has reached base safely in all 11 games, recording a hit in 10 of 11 games played.
Memphis' run total (19) was greater than the total number of at-bats (16) by Mississippi Valley State.
As a team, Memphis recorded three home runs for the first time since having three home runs against UTSA last season.
Among qualified players (2PA/G and 75% of games played), four Tigers (Kennedy Semien, Neely Taylor, Zoe Adebayo, Taniyah Brown) have an OPS above 1.000.
In 11 games, Memphis has scored 92 runs. It took the Tigers 44 games to reach that runs total during the 2024 season.

UP NEXT
The Tigers travel to Georgia for the I-75 Challenge. Over three days, Memphis will play five games in total against Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Dayton and a doubleheader against Georgia State.

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.