March 26, 2008

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

Arkansas State 7, Memphis 4

Arkansas State (14-10)   120 002 110 - 7 13 3
Memphis (11-12)          200 000 200 - 4  7 1

Senior K.K. Chalmers went 2-for-3 with two walks and scored twice to become the University of Memphis' all-time runs scored leader, but the Tiger offense sputtered in clutch situations, leaving five of its nine runners stranded in scoring position in a 7-4 loss to Arkansas State on Wednesday evening at Nat Buring Stadium. The Tigers fall below .500 at 11-12 and split the season series with the Indians.

Arkansas State plated an unearned run in the top of the first, but Memphis retaliated quickly in its first offensive opportunity. Coming into the game tied for the program's all-time record, Chalmers quickly took hold of the top spot after drawing a leadoff walk in the first inning. He raced home all the way from first on a double to the leftfield corner by Chad Zurcher. Zurcher put up a strong performance, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. The freshman put Memphis ahead 2-1 when he scored on an RBI-single by Trey Wiedman.

That would be the last time the Tigers lead, as A-State starter Jett Jones (1-4) induced easy outs for the ASU defense, while its offense banged out 13 hits, behind the strength of Murray Watts' three hit night. After surrendering the two first-inning scores, Jones got Memphis to fly out eight times and added a pair of strikeouts to pick up his first win of the year.

Guy Brown teamed up with Watts to score four of the Tribe's seven runs. Brown tripled to the rightfield corner and Watts followed with a double to deep right center to tie the game. Watts came around to score on a two-out single by Brandon Eller.

Arkansas State's defense came up big in the fifth inning. Chalmers reached on an infield and moved around to third when ASU shortstop Ryan Hudgins' throw to first landed into the Memphis bullpen. Zurcher flew out to shallow rightfield and Chalmers tagged up. However, Indians rightfielder Aaron Ferguson made a perfect strike to the plate to cut Chalmers' down.

ASU came back and tacked on two runs in the following half inning, as Watts singled and scored on a sac fly by Derrick Coleman. An RBI-single by Eller made it 6-2.

Chalmers and Zurcher scored in the seventh to cut the deficit to 6-4. That production came despite Indians reliever Chris Bullington striking out four in the inning.

Arkansas State crossed once more in the eighth for the 7-4 final.

Chris Kirkland (0-1) took the loss in his first career start. The Tigers everyday catcher, Kirkland gave up three runs on five hits in three innings. He struck out two.

Memphis will now hit the road headed for Charleston, W. Va. and a Conference USA weekend clash with the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Tigers and Herd will match up March 28-30, with the game times set for 7 p.m., 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. All times are Eastern.