April 2, 2008

Box Score

OXFORD, Miss. -

No. 23 Ole Miss 5, Memphis 4

Memphis (11-16)          400 000 000 - 4 11 0
No. 23 Ole Miss (17-11)  000 041 000 - 5  8 0

Memphis jumped out to a 4-0 lead with four runs in the first inning and Brach Davis fanned a career-high seven in five innings, but Ole Miss came back to score five unanswered runs to send the Tigers to their sixth straight loss in a 5-4 decision at Oxford-University Stadium on Wednesday evening. The loss was Memphis' eighth one-run setback of the year.

Memphis pounced on Ole Miss' starting pitcher Phillip Irwin quickly for four scores in the first inning. Each of the Tigers' first four batter reached base, with three of them connecting for opposite field base knocks. K.K. Chalmers, who had two hits in the game, led the game off by working a 0-2 count for a walk. Chad Zurcher then extended his current hit streak to 16 games with a single through the right side. Back-to-back RBI singles by Brett Bowen and Trey Wiedman made it 2-0. Irwin induced a flyball out for his lone out, but promptly gave up singles to Cole Shelton and Tyler Huelsing as the Tigers pushed the lead to 4-0, before chasing the former CBHS standout out of the game.

Davis cruised through the first four stanzas, no hitting the Rebels and tying his former career-high with six strikeouts. The southpaw gave up his first hit in the bottom of the fifth as Michael Guerrero grounded and infield single just under the glove of Bowen at third.

From there the Ole Miss offense gained momentum with Zach Miller following Guerrero's single with a single to right centerfield. Both Guerrero and Miller had two hits each to lead the Rebels. Jeremy Travis gave Memphis the big blow two batters later. The Ole Miss rightfielder blasted his home run of the year over the leftfield wall to cut into the Tiger lead for a 4-3 contest. Catcher Brett Basham then reached on a push-bunt single. After Davis was called for a balk on a pick-off throw to first, Logan Power drove Basham home with an RBI-single to knot the tilt at 4-4

Ole Miss completed the comeback in the sixth on a home run by Guerrero for the 5-4 lead.

Memphis could only manage to get one hit and two base runners over the final three innings of play.

Philip Utley was the losing pitcher after giving up a run on two hits in one-third of an inning. Neil Schenk and Matt Yokley also worked in relief, with both holding Ole Miss scoreless. Yokley fanned two in one inning.

Ole Miss reliever Rory McKean was the winner. He gave up just one hit in two innings of relief work. Cordova High product Nathan Baker came on the in relief of Irwin in the first and scattered five hits in 4.2 innings. Scott Bittle and Justin Cryer each logged an inning of work, with Cryer earning the save.

The road remains a tough one for Memphis as they host the 15th ranked Rice Owls in C-USA weekend series. First pitch for Friday night's series opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Nat Buring Stadium.