Baseball Drops Series Opener at Memphis, 13-12

Thursday, May 18

Memphis, Tenn.

6:30 p.m.

Tulane University

25-29, 11-11

Memphis

29-25, 8-14

Tulane

Memphis

Baseball Drops Series Opener at Memphis, 13-12

May 19, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tulane and Memphis engaged in a slugfest in their series opener Thursday night, combining to hit nine home runs, but the Tigers came out on top, 13-12, at FedEx Park.

The Green Wave (25-29, 11-11 American) hit five home runs, including two by junior Grant Brown, while the Tigers (29-25, 8-14 American) hit four homers to open the final American Athletic Conference series of the season.

Brown's first home run followed a solo shot by senior Jarret DeHart in the third inning, and he hit a three-run homer in the seventh that preceded a blast by senior Hunter Hope. Senior Jake Willsey also hit a solo homer as part of a three-run third inning that gave Tulane a 5-0 lead. Brown finished with four RBI, while Hope, senior Hunter Williams and freshman Paul Gozzo all drove in two runs.

Memphis erased Tulane's advantage with five runs in the fourth, then took an 11-5 lead with a six-run fifth inning. After three scoreless frames, the Green Wave cut it to 11-9 with four runs in the seventh, but stared at a four-run deficit again after the Tigers made it 13-9 in the bottom of the frame. Those two runs proved to be the difference in the game, as Tulane plated three runs in the eighth to cut it to 13-12, but left the bases loaded and was unable to score in the ninth.

The second game of the series is at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The game will be broadcast on 88.3 FM WRBH and TuneIn Radio, and free live audio is also available on www.TulaneGreenWave.com.

Junior J.P. France pitched 3.0 scoreless innings, striking out two batters and allowing two hits, as Tulane mounted a 5-0 lead. Gozzo drove a two-out, two-run single up the middle in the second inning after Willsey was hit by a pitch and freshman Kody Hoese singled. DeHart and Brown went back-to-back over the right center and left center field walls, respectively, to begin the third, and Willsey added a solo shot to left center with two outs to make it 5-0.

Memphis tied the game with five runs in the bottom of the fourth on a pair of solo home runs by Trent Turner and Tyler Webb, a two-run double by Andy Bowman, and an RBI groundout by Colton Neel. The Tigers took an 11-5 lead in the fifth inning with two bases-loaded walks, a two-run single by Neel and a dropped pop up that allowed two runs to score.

In the seventh, Williams singled and DeHart doubled, then Brown drove his second home run of the night to left field, cutting the deficit to 11-8. Hope followed with a blast that cleared the light fixtures and the trees, and bounced around the parking lot beyond the left field wall, making the score 11-9. The Tigers then made it 13-9 with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the frame by Chris Carrier and Turner.

Tulane mounted a comeback in the eighth when pinch hitter Matt Rowland drew a walk, Kaplan doubled, and Williams scored both with a base hit up the middle. DeHart and Brown walked to load the bases, and Hope laced a single to left, making the score 13-12. The next three batters were retired, however, ending the inning. Kaplan doubled with an out in the ninth and DeHart drew a two-out walk, but a strikeout ended the game.

Senior Corey Merrill was the last of four relievers used by Tulane, and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to keep the Wave within striking distance.

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Memphis 13, Tulane 12 (May 18, 2017 at Memphis, Tenn.)
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Tulane.............. 023 000 430 - 12 15 1 (25-29, 11-11 AAC)
Memphis............. 000 560 20X - 13 13 1 (29-25, 8-14 AAC)
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Pitchers: Tulane - FRANCE, J.P.; MASSEY, Ross(4); ISSA, Brandon(5); SCHNAKE, Burton(6);
MERRILL, Corey(7) and GOZZO, Paul; ARTIGUES, Jonathon. Memphis - CROSBY, Drew; GARNER, Ryan(7);
BOBO, Taylor(7); SMITH, Alex(8); SMITH, Hunter(8); ALEXANDER, Connor(9) and SANTANA, Jason.
Win-CROSBY, Drew(6-3) Save-ALEXANDER, Connor(1) Loss-MASSEY, Ross(0-8) T-3:40 A-487
HR TLN - DeHART, Jarret (12); BROWN, Grant 2 (7); HOPE, Hunter (12); WILLSEY, Jake (9).
HR MEM - WEBB, Tyler (6); CARRIER, Chris (14); TURNER,Trent 2 (7).
Weather: 86 degrees, clear, s 10 mph
GARNER faced 2 batters in the 7th.
BOBO, T. faced 3 batters in the 8th.
SMITH, A. faced 2 batters in the 8th.