The Memphis Tigers lose the series finale to the Wright State Raiders 17-7. The Tigers were still able to win the series with their wins on Friday and Saturday, and their record now sits 7-6.
“Obviously giving up 17 runs, it’s tough to win,” coach Matt Riser said after the game.
The box score tells the tale, with Wright State scoring at least one run in every inning except the first and ninth.
The first inning saw starter Caden Robinson breezing through the order with ease, only for the wheels to come off in second inning with six runs coming across to put the Tigers in a big hole early.
Robinson loaded the bases early and was not able to recover, giving up three runs on two singles, a walk, and a bases clearing double.
Memphis got a run back in the second inning to make it 6-1, but a two-run home run by the Raiders in the third inning marked the end of the day for Robinson. He exited with a line of 2 2/3 innings pitched, eight runs allowed on seven hits, three walks, and four strikeouts.
JT Durham was inserted for a couple of innings of relief duty. He went 2 1/3 innings while giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.
An Austin Baskin RBI double in the fourth inning was all the offense the Tigers could muster in the middle third of the game, leaving Memphis in a 11-2 deficit.
After Durham was pulled from the game, Riser turned to five different pitchers to close out the final four innings.
Malik Harris, Brandon Chorzelewski, Waylon Sebren, Jonah Posey, and Ethan Vandament all took the mound in the final four innings for the Tigers
“We need some of the guys in the pitching staff [to find their roles],” Riser said. “It might be just to get one or two outs for us.”
The five pitchers combined for six runs on seven hits (all hits and runs were charged to Harris and Sebren), six walks, and two strikeouts.
During that time, the Tigers offense tried to fight back with three-run sixth inning, courtesy of a two-run double by Daunte Stuart, followed by an RBI single from Jacob Compton to make it 12-5.
It seemed that Wright State had an answer for every attempt at a comeback by the Tigers.
Three runs by Memphis were met with a two-run home run in the next half-inning by Wright State to make it 14-5.
Two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning by the Tigers made it 14-7. However, Wright State added three more runs of their own in the eight inning to push their lead to double digits.
The Tigers are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Oxford, Mississippi to take on the Ole Miss Rebels at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
The Tigerpen 
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