University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
1-0
Toledo
0-4
Memphis Bats Lead Tigers to Hot Start in 11-7 Season-Opening Victory
Feb 06, 2026 | Softball
Tigers log eight extra-base hits and play error-free defense in win over Toledo
TEMPE, Ariz. – The University of Memphis (1-0) softball team put runs up early in an offensive explosion en route to an 11-7 victory over Toledo (0-4) in its season opener at the Kajikawa Classic.
A complete performance fueled Memphis to its first win of the 2026 campaign, with 8 of 10 hits going for extra bases and playing error-free defense.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first at-bats of the season saw a chain of doubles by Ariel Davis and Neely Taylor, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kylie Waldrep brought Memphis' first run home after the bases became loaded.
- Deana Cunningham followed Waldrep with a two-run single and Kennedy Semien finished out the scoring with a triple to bring Cunningham home for a four-run lead to start the season.
- In her collegiate debut, Avery Stutts came through after allowing runners on second and third with no outs in a scoreless first.
- Stutts finished the afternoon with three innings in her first appearances in the circle.
- After the Tigers went scoreless in the second, Toledo answered with a three-run home run by Eli Enriquez to cut Memphis' lead to one in the early stages.
- Memphis answered quickly in the third as Mya Clark led off the inning with a triple and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Semien.
- A single by Aubrey Williams brought Waldrep home, who reached on a hit-by-pitch and stole second, with Davis bringing home the final run of the frame on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.
- The Rockets fought back to tie the game at seven runs apiece after a Memphis pitching change and a chain of singles, a hit-by-pitch and walks led to three runs scoring.
- For the second time in the contest, Mya Clark led off the inning with an extra-base hit, this time being a home run that helped Memphis regain the lead.
- It was the first home run in Clark's collegiate career after two seasons at Iowa.
- The fifth inning began with yet another Tiger slugging their first collegiate home run, as Utah State transfer Zereniti Sousa sailed a ball to deep left-center on a full count.
- The Tigers added two more runs with Davis and Isabella Hune coming across on wild pitches.
- Davis reached after Sousa's home run with her first triple of the season.
- The Tigers added two more runs with Davis and Isabella Hune coming across on wild pitches.
- Senior pitcher Rylee Dugar entered and quickly tossed a scoreless pair of innings as the Tigers stretched their lead over the fourth and fifth innings.
- Dugar's innings were kept clean with the help of Davis at third, who snagged multiple liners and showed a sure hand in the hot corner.
- Memphis went stagnant in the final two frames, but Dugar continued to show composure in the circle, finishing her evening by retiring Toledo's final 12 batters and earning the win.
NOTABLES
- The Tigers now have won back-to-back season openers under head coach Trena Prater.
- It was Memphis' first season-opening victory against a Division I opponent and first win on the road to start a season since 2022 when Memphis defeated Rutgers in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
- In the victory, Memphis logged three triples as a team, the most since also hitting three in a 9-1 win over Louisiana Tech in 2021.
- The Tigers also logged eight extra-base hits (two doubles, three triples, two home runs) in the win.
- Nine Tigers (Isabella Hune, Paris Brienesse, Mya Clark, Kylie Waldrep, Deana Cunningham, Jasmine Mack, Zereniti Sousa, Taylor Caton and Avery Stutts) all made their Memphis debuts, with Caton and Stutts also making their first collegiate starts at first base and pitcher, respectively.
- Ariel Davis led Memphis with three hits in the contest, logging a double, triple and an RBI.
- It was just the second time that Davis recorded a three-hit game, previously going 3-for-4 against Middle Tennessee last season.
- Neely Taylor made her first start of the year after missing the end of last season, going 1-for-3 with a first-inning double.
- Deana Cunningham logged her first collegiate hit and RBI, going 1-for-3 with a two-RBI single in the first inning.
- Isabella Hune and Paris Brienesse entered as pinch runners, logging two and one stolen base, respectively, with Hune also staying in the game in right field.
- Mya Clark was 2-for-3 in the victory with a triple and a home run, giving her her first collegiate mark in hits, triples, home runs, RBI and runs scored.
- Kylie Waldrep was 1-for-1 in her Memphis debut, logging a sacrifice fly and a stolen base.
- Kennedy Semien logged two RBI in the win, coming off a triple and a safety squeeze.
- Aubrey Williams was also one of seven Tigers to log an RBI, finishing the game with one hit, one RBI and one run scored.
- Zereniti Sousa made a strong Memphis debut, hitting her first collegiate run and going 1-for-3 at the plate.
- In the circle, Avery Stutts had a strong showing in her debut, going three innings and working out of multiple jams, finishing with four runs allowed.
- Rylee Dugar pitched a perfect four innings to earn the win, retiring Toledo's final 12 batters in order.
UP NEXT
The Tigers continue action in the Kajikawa Classic tomorrow with back-to-back games against Toledo and Texas State at 11 a.m. CT and 1:45 p.m. CT, respectively. Both games will have live stats to follow, but will not be broadcast.
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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dugar, Rylee (1-0)
L: Yackee, Mady (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Davis, Ariel 1 ; Taylor, Neely 1
3B: Semien, Kennedy 1 ; Clark, Mya 1 ; Davis, Ariel 1
HR: Clark, Mya 1 ; Sousa, Zereniti 1
RBI: Semien, Kennedy 2 ; Cunningham, Deana 2 ; Waldrep, Kylie 1 ; Williams, Aubrey 1 ; Clark, Mya 1 ; Sousa, Zereniti 1 ; Davis, Ariel 1
SH: Semien, Kennedy 1 ; Cunningham, Deana 1
SF: Waldrep, Kylie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cunningham, Deana 1 ; Waldrep, Kylie 1 ; Williams, Aubrey 1 ; Clark, Mya 3 ; Sousa, Zereniti 1 ; Hune, Isabella 1 ; Davis, Ariel 2 ; Taylor, Neely 1
SB: Waldrep, Kylie 1 ; Brienesse, Paris 1 ; Hune, Isabella 2 ; Davis, Ariel 1
CS: Semien, Kennedy 1 ; Mack, Jasmine 1
HBP: Waldrep, Kylie 2 ; Davis, Ariel 1
Batting:
2B: Hensley, Aubrey 1 ; Bolding, Samantha 1
HR: Enriquez, Eli 1
RBI: Miller, Audrey 1 ; Maloney, Eliza 1 ; Shepherd, Alexis 1 ; Bolding, Samantha 1 ; Enriquez, Eli 3
SH: Shepherd, Alexis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Maloney, Eliza 1 ; O'Malley, Grace 1 ; Gober, Jenna 2 ; Abiley, Payton 2 ; Enriquez, Eli 1
HBP: Maloney, Eliza 1 ; Bloomfield, Jenna 1 ; Abiley, Payton 1
