MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With a four-run fourth inning, the Memphis Tigers (13-13, 1-3) picked up their first conference win of the season and snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the UCF Knights (18-12, 3-1). The Tigers got six strong innings from RHP Landon Gartman (W, 4-0), while LHP Dalton Kendrick (SV, 4) retired the final nine UCF batters of the night.
Memphis: 6, UCF: 1
WP: Landon Gartman (4-0)
LP: William Saxton (3-1)
SV: Dalton Kendrick (4)
How it happened:
- After Gartman got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the second inning, UCF RHP Connor Staine (ND) came out for his third inning warmup pitches, but departed due to injury before another official pitch
- With the game still scoreless, Saxton relieved Staine and posted a scoreless third inning before the Tigers cracked the scoreboard first with a four-run fourth
- The first three Memphis hitters picked up hits, as LF Ian Bibiloni gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with an RBI single, while an error, a passed ball, and multiple wild pitches led to three more Memphis runs in the inning, as the Tigers led 4-0 after four frames
- The Knights got a run back in the fifth, as a pair of walks and a bunt single loaded the bases with one out, but Gartman limited the damage to just one run on an RBI groundout by SS Alex Freeland, which cut Memphis' lead to 4-1
- The Tigers added two runs in the sixth against Saxton, as 3B Logan Kohler picked up a solo home run, while 1B Chris Swanberg made it 6-1, the eventual final, with a sacrifice fly
- After RHP Logan Rushing relieved Gartman to start the seventh, the Memphis lefty loaded the bases with no outs on three straight walks
- Kendrick came on for Rushing and retired UCF's 2-3-4 hitters, all via strikeout, to escape the jam and keep Memphis in front 6-1; Kendrick struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth and did the same in the ninth, which secured the Tigers' first AAC win
Notables:
- Kohler picked up his team-best 10th multi-hit game with a home run and a single
- With his sixth inning single, DH Jacob Compton extended his on-base streak to 21 games
Up Next:
- The Tigers will look for their first conference series win of the season Saturday, with first pitch against UCF set for 2 p.