April 18, 2008

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

Dallas Baptist 4,Memphis 3

Dallas Baptist (24-10)  001 100 200 - 4 8 2
Memphis (15-22)         010 002 000 - 3 8 1

With one out and the bases loaded, Dallas Baptist closer Tyson Bagley induced a game-ending double play to record his eighth save of the year and nail down a 4-3 win for the Patriots in the non-conference series opener on Friday evening.

Bagley's eighth rescue seemed in doubt in the final frame as he walked pinch hitter Chris Newsom to lead off the inning and then mishandled a bunt by Chris Kirkland that put runners on first and second with no outs. Senior K.K. Chalmers then successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Newsom and pinch runner Zach Helton into scoring position. But Bagley was able to get Brett Bowen to hit into a 1-2-3 double play to give Memphis its 10th one-run loss of the year.

Bagley also thwarted the Tigers' bid for victory in the seventh. Trailing by the one run, Kirkland, who was one of just two Memphis hitters to record multiple hits in the contest, singled to right off of Patriots reliever Wayne Dowling. Chalmers pushed a perfect bunt to second for a single. Chad Zurcher then moved Kirkland and Chalmers ahead with a sac bunt. Then Bagley entered the game. He fanned Bowen and then got Cole Shelton to ground out to end the Memphis scoring bid.

Evan Bigley's two-run home run over the left centerfield wall in the top of the seventh turned a 3-2 Memphis lead into a one-run deficit. The scoring inning for the Patriots answered a two-run sixth by the Tigers that put them on top.

Dowling, who came on for DBU starter Ryan Millard, issued Shelton a walk to lead off the inning and Robby Graham's slow hopper skipped under Austin Knight's glove at shortstop, and the ball slowly trickled into shallow left centerfield, allowing Shelton to advance to third. A heady baserunner, Graham moved to a vacated second base. Trey Wiedman grounded out to second and Tyler Huelsing grounded out to shortstop to plate Shelton and Graham, respectively, for the 3-2 lead.

In a pitcher's dual early on, Scott McGregor was solid for Memphis. The righthander, held one of the nation's top offenses in check with one of his strongest outings of the year, scattering six hits and fanning six in six innings. He allowed just one earned run and walked one batter. Meanwhile, DBU starter Millard was also effective, giving up one run on five hits in five innings. He struck out three.

Memphis got on the board first, in the second inning after Huelsing, Eric Farrell and Kirkland each banged out two-out singles. Kirkland's single down the rightfield line scored Huelsing for the game's first run. Huelsing joined Kirkland with two hits.

DBU countered with the next two scores, including an unearned run in the third. Clay Kelly reached on an infield error and came around to score on a groundball out by Ryan Goins. They took a 2-1 lead in the fourth after Andrew Pirtle led the inning off with a double and scored on a single through the left side off the bat of Nick Santos. Santos was a tough out for the Tigers, leading the Patriots with three hits.

Memphis reliever Neil Schenk (0-2) to hit with the loss after giving up tow runs on two hits in three innings of relief. Dowling (1-0) was the winner.

The two squads will go at it again tomorrow in a nine-inning; seven-inning doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Head Coach Daron Schoenrock and the Tiger baseball program will honor the 1981 team as well as recognizing former Tiger skipper Dave Anderson, by retiring his jersey, in a pre-game ceremony. The pre-game festivities are set to begin at 12:20 p.m.