University of Memphis Athletics
Tuesday, February 24
Little Rock, Ark.
3:05 p.m.
University of Memphis
3-5
24
at
5
Little Rock
6-2
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4
5
6
7
8
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H
E
Memphis
2
4
0
4
9
2
3
24
18
0
Little Rock
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1
X
5
10
2
Watson’s Grand Slam Powers Memphis’ Five-Homer, 24-5 Run-Rule Win
Feb 24, 2026 | Baseball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis (3-5) baseball team exploded for 24 runs at Little Rock on Tuesday, its most runs in a game since the 2020 season. The Tigers hit five home runs, including a Webb Watson grand slam in the fifth inning, to run-rule the Trojans, 24-5.
Memphis built an early 6-1 lead after two innings and dominated the middle innings, scoring nine runs in the fifth alone, to claim a 24-5 run-rule victory at Little Rock. 11 different batters recorded a hit for Memphis as the team combined for 18 total.
The Tigers will return to FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field this weekend for a three-game series with Jacksonville State.
HOW IT HAPPENED
NOTABLES
SCORING SUMMARY
Top 1:
Shane Cox singled, Freddy Rodriguez scored.
Webb Watson grounded out, James Smith IV scored.
Memphis 2, Little Rock 0
Bottom 1:
Angel Cano homered.
Memphis 2, Little Rock 1
Top 2:
Michael Gupton walked, Jack Pitts scored.
Tyler Harrington scored on a passed ball.
Freddy Rodriguez singled, Brady McAbee and Michael Gupton scored.
Memphis 6, Little Rock 1
Top 4:
Shane Cox doubled, Freddy Rodriguez scored.
Jack Pitts homered, James Smith IV and Shane Cox scored.
Memphis 10, Little Rock 1
Top 5:
Javon Hernandez singled, Michael Gupton scored.
James Smith IV singled, Javon Hernandez scored.
Webb Watson hit a grand slam, Freddy Rodriguez, Marcus Smith, and Jack Little scored.
Jack Pitts homered.
Michael Gupton homered, Tyler Harrington scored.
Memphis 19, Little Rock 1
Bottom 5:
Lance Anderson homered, Jake McClure scored.
Blake Simpson doubled, Michael O'Brien scored.
Memphis 19, Little Rock 4
Top 6:
Marcus Smith homered, Freddy Rodriguez scored.
Memphis 21, Little Rock 4
Top 7:
Gabe Boyd singled, Seth Giamportone scored.
Marcus Smith reached on an error, Michael Politte and Gabe Boyd scored.
Memphis 24, Little Rock 4
Bottom 7:
Luis Castillo singled, Michael O'Brein scored.
Memphis 24, Little Rock 5
UP NEXT
Memphis returns home Friday to begin a three-game series against Jacksonville State at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field. Friday's first pitch is set for 4:05 p.m.
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.
Memphis built an early 6-1 lead after two innings and dominated the middle innings, scoring nine runs in the fifth alone, to claim a 24-5 run-rule victory at Little Rock. 11 different batters recorded a hit for Memphis as the team combined for 18 total.
The Tigers will return to FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field this weekend for a three-game series with Jacksonville State.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Memphis started hot once again, scoring in the first inning for a fifth time this season. Freddy Rodriguez and James Smith IV reached base before Shane Cox came through again for the Tigers, scoring Rodriguez on a single up the middle. Smith IV later scored on a Webb Watson groundout.
- Little Rock got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Angel Cano homered against the Tigers again, having done so last week as well.
- The Tigers imposed their will again in the second, loading the bases with no outs, chasing the Trojans' starting pitcher and batting around the order. Michael Gupton recorded an RBI after drawing a walk that plated Jack Pitts and Tyler Harrington scored on a passed ball soon after. Rodriguez brought home Brady McAbee and Gupton with a two-RBI single to center to cap off a four-run inning.
- Memphis extended its lead to 10-1 after another four-run inning in the fourth. Rodriguez and Smith IV drew walks before Cox hit a double to center field that scored Rodriguez. Jack Pitts proceeded to blast the Tigers' first home run of five on the day, scoring Smith IV and Cox in the process.
- The Tigers unleashed an onslaught of offense on the Trojans in the fifth, scoring nine runs on seven hits. Javon Hernandez singled to right, which scored Gupton, Smith IV hit a single of his own to plate Hernandez, all before Watson belted a grand slam to right field to put the Tigers up 16-1 at the time. Pitts made it back-to-back home runs with his own homer to right and Gupton capped off a three home run inning with a 403-foot shot to center.
- Facing a 19-1 deficit, Little Rock scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homer from Lance Anderson and an RBI double by Blake Simpson.
- Marcus Smith joined the home run party with his own two-run homer in the sixth, bringing Rodriguez in to score with him and putting the Tigers over the 20-run mark.
- Memphis scored the last of its 24 runs in the top of the seventh on a Gabe Boyd single that scored Seth Giamportone and an error by the Trojans that Michael Politte and Boyd took advantage of.
- Little Rock needed 11 runs in the bottom of the seventh to extend the game and got one via a Luis Castillo single before Watson made a sliding catch in left field for the Tigers, ending the game in run-rule fashion.
NOTABLES
- The Tigers exploded for 24 runs, the most in a game since Feb. 28, 2020, when they scored 24 in a win over Western Illinois.
- The last time a Memphis team scored more than 24 runs in a game was April 30, 1994, when they beat Cincinnati 25-1.
- Memphis' 18 hits today are the most since recording 19 on Feb. 22, 2023, against MVSU.
- Webb Watson continues to impress early in his career; he hit the first grand slam of his career in Memphis' nine-run fifth inning.
- Watson had five RBI on the day, the most by a Tiger since Will Vasseur had five at Central Arkansas on April 15, 2025.
- Jack Pitts, Webb Watson, Michael Gupton and Marcus Smith hit homers for the Tigers.
- Memphis hit for the home run cycle as a team: Pitts' second long ball was a solo shot, Gupton and Smith both hit two-run homers, Pitts' first homer was of the three-run variety, and Watson's grand slam completed the feat.
- The five home runs are the most in a game by the Tigers since March 14, 2025, against Lindenwood.
- In the top of the fifth Memphis scored nine runs, its most runs in a single inning since posting nine in the fourth inning on March 5, 2024, coincidentally, also against Little Rock.
- Freddy Rodriguez, James Smith IV and Javon Hernandez stole bases for the Tigers, bringing the team's season total to 24 steals, which ranks in the top 20 nationally and first in the American. Rodriguez added two more stolen bags and is a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts this season and has stolen a base in four straight games.
- After drawing nine walks today, Memphis has 49 total walks on the season, compared to 38 by its opponents.
- The Tigers batted around the order in the second and fifth innings, the first times this season they've done so.
- Pitts, a sophomore who started at DH, had a career day at the plate going 3-for-4 with two home runs.
- Pitts recorded career-highs in hits (3) and RBI (4)
- This was also Pitts' first career multi-homer outing.
- Tyler Harrington went 3-for-5 on the day, his most hits in a single game in a Memphis jersey.
- Gupton totaled two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI against Little Rock, all Memphis career-highs for the outfielder.
- Gupton leads the team in home runs with three.
- Shane Cox made an impact once again for the Tigers, collecting two more hits and two more RBI.
- His two hits in three at-bats bring his batting average to .424 and his RBI total now sits at 10 through eight games.
- Marcus Smith became the fifth Memphis batter to send one deep this season, after hitting his first of the year in the sixth inning.
SCORING SUMMARY
Top 1:
Shane Cox singled, Freddy Rodriguez scored.
Webb Watson grounded out, James Smith IV scored.
Memphis 2, Little Rock 0
Bottom 1:
Angel Cano homered.
Memphis 2, Little Rock 1
Top 2:
Michael Gupton walked, Jack Pitts scored.
Tyler Harrington scored on a passed ball.
Freddy Rodriguez singled, Brady McAbee and Michael Gupton scored.
Memphis 6, Little Rock 1
Top 4:
Shane Cox doubled, Freddy Rodriguez scored.
Jack Pitts homered, James Smith IV and Shane Cox scored.
Memphis 10, Little Rock 1
Top 5:
Javon Hernandez singled, Michael Gupton scored.
James Smith IV singled, Javon Hernandez scored.
Webb Watson hit a grand slam, Freddy Rodriguez, Marcus Smith, and Jack Little scored.
Jack Pitts homered.
Michael Gupton homered, Tyler Harrington scored.
Memphis 19, Little Rock 1
Bottom 5:
Lance Anderson homered, Jake McClure scored.
Blake Simpson doubled, Michael O'Brien scored.
Memphis 19, Little Rock 4
Top 6:
Marcus Smith homered, Freddy Rodriguez scored.
Memphis 21, Little Rock 4
Top 7:
Gabe Boyd singled, Seth Giamportone scored.
Marcus Smith reached on an error, Michael Politte and Gabe Boyd scored.
Memphis 24, Little Rock 4
Bottom 7:
Luis Castillo singled, Michael O'Brein scored.
Memphis 24, Little Rock 5
UP NEXT
Memphis returns home Friday to begin a three-game series against Jacksonville State at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field. Friday's first pitch is set for 4:05 p.m.
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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Impson, Seth (1-0)
L: Cline, Jack (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Cox, Shane 1
HR: Gupton, Michael 1 ; Watson, Webb 1 ; Smith, Marcus 1 ; Pitts, Jack 2
RBI: Gupton, Michael 3 ; Rodriguez, Freddy 2 ; Watson, Webb 5 ; Smith, Marcus 2 ; Cox, Shane 2 ; Pitts, Jack 4 ; Boyd, Gabe 1 ; Smith IV, James 1 ; Hernandez, Javon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gupton, Michael 3 ; Rodriguez, Freddy 4 ; Watson, Webb 1 ; Smith, Marcus 2 ; Cox, Shane 1 ; Giamportone, Seth 1 ; Harrington, Tyler 2 ; Little, Jack 1 ; Pitts, Jack 3 ; McAbee, Brady 1 ; Politte, Michael 1 ; Boyd, Gabe 1 ; Smith IV, James 2 ; Hernandez, Javon 1
SB: Rodriguez, Freddy 2 ; Smith IV, James 1 ; Hernandez, Javon 1
CS: Gupton, Michael 1 ; Cox, Shane 1
HBP: Gupton, Michael 1 ; Rodriguez, Freddy 1 ; Politte, Michael 1 ; Hernandez, Javon 1
Batting:
2B: Simpson, Blake 1
HR: Cano, Angel 1 ; Anderson, Lance 1
RBI: Cano, Angel 1 ; Anderson, Lance 2 ; Castillo, Luis 1 ; Simpson, Blake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McClure, Jake 1 ; O'Brien, Michael 2 ; Cano, Angel 1 ; Anderson, Lance 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
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RBI
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4
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H
3
RBI
4
AB
2
R
3
H
2
RBI
3
AB
2
R
4
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
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