Memphis Drops First Game in Series Against Bowling Green

“It was an embarrassing outing to be honest with you”

Matt Riser

The Tigers struggled Friday in their opening game against Bowling Green, dropping a 9-1 game behind great pitching and hitting from Bowling Green’s DJ Newman and other hot bats for the Falcons.

The game was tied 0-0 through three innings until a single by Garrett Wright drove in a run for the Falcons. That was followed up by a Newman double that plated two more runners, making a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

David Warren who got the start for the Tigers was pulled after 4 and 2/3 innings of work. After he was pulled, the Falcons loaded the bags and scored one run on a walk making it 4-0 through five innings.

In the seventh inning, Leighton Barnjoff hit a two-run home run to add more cushion to the Falcons lead, moving it to 6-0. Also in the seventh inning, Newman hit double digit strike outs for the first time in his career.

With Malik Harris on the mound in the eighth, he gave up another run after a dropped fly ball in center field allowed a Falcon runner to come in from third. Landon Willeman came into pitch for the Falcons, came in for a hot Newman who finished with 11 strikeouts, a career high.

Despite not contributing on the mound anymore, Newman wasn’t done. He hit a two-run home run off of Brandon Chorzelewski in the top of the ninth to give the Falcons a 9-0 lead.

The Tigers were able to drive in their only run of the game as Seth Cox who was pinch hitting for Aaron Smigelski, hit a line drive into left field that past the diving glove of Gavin Gunan. That hit allowed Aaron Davis to score from second giving us the final score of 9-1.

With the loss, the Tigers move to 2-4 on the season. They will look to even the series against the Falcons tomorrow at 2 p.m.