April 22, 2008

Box Score

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -

Middle Tennessee 8, Memphis 7

Memphis (15-25)                000 100 240 - 7 11 1
Middle Tennessee (21-17-1)     021 100 013 - 8 14 2

Middle Tennessee used three consecutive doubles to rally for three runs in the ninth and send Memphis to an 8-7 loss in non-conference action Tuesday evening. The loss was the Tigers' 11th one-run setback of the year.

A four-run eighth gave the Tigers a 7-4 lead and after an eighth-inning home run by Rawley Bishop, it was Memphis ahead by two heading into the bottom of the ninth. But back-to-back-to-back doubles by pinch hitter Zach Dean, Nathan Hines and Blake Dean knotted the game at 7-7, setting up a game-winning single by Bishop. Bishop went 5-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. He finished a triple short of the cycle.

After scoring two runs in the seventh inning to cut Middle's lead 4-3, the Tigers kept the pressure on the Blue Raiders in the eighth, putting up a two-out rally to capture the lead. Chris Newsom added to his already solid night by drawing a walk and K.K. Chalmers did the same. A wild pitch by MT relief pitcher Jud Stoltz allowed Newsom to race home for the game-tying run. Chad Zurcher, who led the Memphis offense with a 3-for-3 night, reached on an infield single deep down the third baseline and Chalmers moved to third on the play. With Chalmers on third and two outs, Memphis got a big lift from a defensive miscue by Middle Tennessee third baseman Zach Barrett. Tyler Huelsing grounded a ball to third and Barrett's throw sailed wide, pulling first baseman Bishop off the bag. Chalmers scored on the play to give Memphis its first lead of the evening, 5-4. Huelsing moved to second and Cole Shelton made it a 7-4 ballgame with a looping single to rightcenter, scoring Zurcher and Huelsing. The Tigers rally saw nine batters, with five consecutive Memphis hitters reaching base after Newsom's rally-starting walk.

Middle broke through the scoring column in the second inning after Bishop led things off with a single and Tiger starter Ryan Holland then walked his high school teammate Bryce Brentz. Holland retired the next two batters, but Zach Hudson came through with a big two-out single to bring both Bishop and Brentz in for a 2-0 MT lead.

Another score in the third made it 3-0 in favor of the Blue Raiders. Hines led off the frame with a single through the left side and stole second. Again Holland got outs in the next two at-bats. However, it was Zach Barrett's ground out to second that scored Hines.

MTSU starter Chad Edwards cruised through the first four innings, giving up just one run on two hits, while fanning one. He shut the Tigers offense out through three innings, before Memphis struck for one run in the fourth. A two-out single by Trey Wiedman preceded an RBI-double by Chris Kirkland. Kirkland was thrown out at second after rounding the bag, but Wiedman had already scored the Tigers' first run of the night. Wiedman's single was the first U of M hit with less than two outs, and just one of four.

Middle got the run back in the home half of the fourth after Tyler Burnett made it three straight innings in which the Blue Raiders got its leadoff hitter on, as he banged a double down the rightfield line. The next MT hitter, Grant Box, made it 4-1 after he lined a single up the middle.

Memphis refused to go down easily, as Eric Farrell led off the seventh inning with a single up the middle. Newsom, who had two doubles on the night, then drove his second two-bagger over the head of Blue Raider leftfielder Zach Hudson in left centerfield to score Farrell and close the U of M deficit to one run. Newsom's double chased Edwards out of the contest, but the Tigers were not done. Zurcher blooped an RBI-single to center off MT reliever Matt Doss to bring the speedy Newsom in for a 4-3 game. Newsom had two hits in the contest. Middle Tennessee used four pitchers in the seventh inning.

Middle Tennessee out hit Memphis 14-11. Hines had three hits and Hudson added two for the Blue Raiders.

Jordan Alvis, the final pitcher of the night for Middle Tennessee, took the win, while Matt Yokley was the loser for Memphis.

The two teams will return to the field tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Reese Smith Field.