Memphis Softball Starts Off Conference Play with a Win

The Tigers started their conference schedule over the weekend with a series against the ECU Pirates. The Tigers won the series, blowing out ECU in the last two games.

The tie-breaking game was held on Sunday and the Tigers did not disappoint. Memphis took an early one-run lead in the first, but ECU tied the game up in the second. In the bottom of the third, Memphis lit up the score board with six runs on five hits, including a base clearing hit by Alyssa Dean.

ECU did not return from their deficit throughout the rest of the game while Memphis added two more runs to their lead. The Tigers won the tie-breaker 9-1. Karli Perque pitched the entire game striking out five batters.

The series started on Friday with the Tigers losing to ECU 5-4. Memphis started strong in the first inning, Gracie Morton hit her first collegiate home run and the Tigers finished the inning with three runs.

After the first inning, ECU managed to score two unanswered runs in the second and third innings and another in the fourth, tying the game at 3-3. In the bottom of the fourth, Sara Ann Davidson also hit her first collegiate home run, but it only added one more run to the board.

The Tigers were up 4-3 after the fourth inning, but could not hold on to the lead. The Pirates came back to score two more runs in the sixth and eighth innings and Memphis remained scoreless throughout the rest of the game.

Poole said that the team did not play the way they needed to in the first game, “It was an extra inning ball game,” Poole said. “So, it wasn’t an all-around bad game, but our execution of some things definitely could have been better.”

Memphis came back strong Saturday with an 8-0 shutout win over ECU. The Tigers racked up nine hits in the game, while Mariah Nichols pitched her second shutout of the season only allowing two hits from the Pirates.

The ECU pitchers had a rough day giving away seven walks to the Tigers, while only striking out three batters. The mercy rule was invoked after the fifth inning since Memphis was ahead by eight runs. Baylee Smith scored a career-high four runs during the game, while Regan Hadley led the team with three RBIs and two hits.

The Tigers played well over the weekend, but Poole said their goal is to sweep the series, but winning the series is just as important. Smith said the team is feeling confident after this weekend.

“We’re all feeling really good right now,” Smith said. “We’re at a high and we want to keep adding onto that, keep progressing each day.”

The Tigers improve their overall record to 17-14 and start off strong with a record of 2-1 in the American Athletic Conference. Their next game will be on Wednesday at Murray State.