The Tigerpen

Tag: Alex Fernandes

  • Jacksonville State Rallies Late to Stun Memphis in Extra Innings to Take the Series

    Jacksonville State Rallies Late to Stun Memphis in Extra Innings to Take the Series

    JACKSONVILLE, ALA – Jacksonville State took the season opening series from Memphis in dramatic fashion Sunday. Down 9-2 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Gamecocks rallied to a 13-9 victory in 11 innings.

    “We’ve got to firgure out how to finish games,” Memphis coach Matt Riser said after the game. “If we could finished games, we would be 3-0, but instead we are 1-2.”

    This game featured Jackson Sleeper of the Gamecocks and Caden Robinson of the Tigers getting the nod as starting pitchers for their respective teams. Both players started out strong, as the first two innings were scoreless.

    JSU began scoring in the third inning after Derrick Jackson Jr. hit a long home run to give the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead. The exit velocity on his long ball was 111 mph.

    Memphis responded immediately. Catcher Brennan DuBose driving in an RBI single in the top of the fourth to cut the lead down to a single run.  Alex Fernandes would then go on to hit a 3-run homer to grant Memphis a 4-2 lead. Jacob Compton then hit a solo home run right after Fernandes, pushing the lead up to three runs.

    Later, Riley Davis would record his first RBI as a member of the Tigers.  His hit would bring home Austin Baskin.

    The score stayed the same all the way until the eighth inning. In this frame, Memphis started with a single and a walk. 

    A balk by Jacksonville State brought home Memphis’ seventh run. The bases were then loaded and JSU issued back-to-back walks for runs eight and nine. JSU finally got out of the eighth with a 6-4-3 double play.

    In the home half of the eighth, Jacksonville State finally dialed up the offense. Freshman Hudson Walburn hit a three-run shot to cut the lead to 9-5. They would then hit a two-run double, shrinking the lead to just 2.

    In the ninth, Memphis went down in order. Caleb Johnson of JSU hit a two-RBI double to tie the game at 9 runs each. 

    After an intentional walk and a hit by pitch, the Gamecocks once again had the bases loaded.  Memphis got out of the jam and moved onto extra innings for the second time this series.

    Alex Fernandes started out the 10th by recording a double, leaving the go-ahead run-in scoring position for Memphis.  Memphis was unable to cash this run in, leaving the game tied after top half of the 10th.   

    In the bottom of the 10th, JSU had hot bats. They had the bases loaded for the third time in the game. Caleb Johnson would go on to hit a walk off grand slam to get the Gamecocks a victory of 13-9.

    Memphis travels to play UA, Little Rock on the road Tuesday at 3 p.m.  This game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

    Photo by Brock Busick/University of Memphis Baseball

  • Memphis Baseball Ties Series Against Jacksonville State

    Memphis Baseball Ties Series Against Jacksonville State

    Jacksonville, Ala.—The University of Memphis Tigers baseball team defeated Jacksonville State 7-4 Saturday to tie the three-game series at one each. Coach Matt Riser earned his first win with the Tigers and 321st of his career.

    Photos by Brock Busick/University of Memphis Baseball
    Coach Matt Riser recorded his first win at the helm of the Memphis baseball program. Saturday’s 7-4 victory over Jacksonville State marked Riser’s 321st career win.

    Austin Baskin struck first, putting the Tigers on board early in the top of the 1st inning with his first RBI of the season. He hit a double to the left-center field.

    Jacksonville State tied the game in the 2nd inning with a bases-loaded hit by pitch from Michael Dallas.

    The Tigers’ regained the lead with Jacob Compton’s first solo home run of the game in the top of the third inning.

    Jacksonville State added one in the bottom of the third off the hit of Derrick Jackson Jr. to tie the ballgame 2-2.

    An RBI-triple from Pierre Seals and an RBI double from Alex Fernandes, his first hit of the game, extended the Tigers lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning.

    The hits and runs continued in the fifth inning. Aaron Smigelski and Daunte Stuart hit back-to-back home runs, a first for each this season.

    “The offense showed up again there early in the game and mentally we got to continue to grow and get stronger to finish off some games,” coach Matt Riser said.

    Seth Cox made his pitching debut walking the first batter before recording back-to-back strikeouts heading into the ninth inning.

    “I really enjoyed seeing what he did and that’s a great job of separating,” Riser said. “[Seth Cox] didn’t have a great day at the plate at all, and really had a big day yesterday, so he could’ve carried that over to the mound.”

    Riser commended his team for handling the Friday afternoon marathon 13-inning loss and coming back Saturday with a superior offensive showing.

    “I’m proud of the guys bouncing back after a tough game last night,” Riser said. “I thought again we had some big plays, some big moments, and I think this time we finished it.”

    UP NEXT
    Memphis and Jacksonville State will face off in their series finale on Sunday. First pitch between the Tigers and Gamecocks at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+