March 18, 2008

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

Memphis 18, Samford 9

Samford (9-7)     330 101 001 -  9 10 4
Memphis (8-10)    446 031 00x - 18 17 4

Led by freshman Chad Zurcher's 3-for-5 night and four runs, Memphis's offense erupted for 17 hits en route to an 18-9 triumph over Samford in non-conference action Tuesday evening.

Zurcher doubled, walked, added a bunt single and scored three times in the first three innings. The freshman was not alone as senior leadoff hitter K.K. Chalmers walked twice, reached on a bunt single and added three runs in the first three frames. Cole Shelton rounded out the trio of Tigers to score in each of the first three stanzas. He was hit by a pitch, reached on an infield single and doubled to the left centerfield gap in consecutive at-bats. Memphis, who scored 15 runs in its previous three games, erupted for 14 scores (four in the first, four in the second and six in the third) in the first three innings.

Trey Wiedman, who went 2-for-5 with four RBI, highlighted an explosive six-run third with a three-run bomb over the trees beyond the leftfield wall. The homer was his fifth of the year and snapped a seven-game homerless streak for the Tigers. Memphis sent seven hitters to the plate before recording an out.

Samford got the game off to its fast start with three runs in the opening frame, before the Tigers answered with a four-run first. The Bulldogs took advantage of three Memphis errors to reclaim the lead 6-4 with three more runs in the second before the Tigers ran away with the game in the home half of the second and third.

Memphis starter Brach Davis (2-0) was solid for the second straight start, but did not get much help from his defense. The southpaw from Southaven, Miss., gave up five hits and seven runs in five innings to take home his second straight win. However, of the seven runs he gave up, just two were earned. He also fanned six. From there it was freshman Marcus Barnes, Andrew Haley and Chris Kirkland. Barnes gave up a run on two hits in two innings. In his first career appearance redshirt freshman Haley was impressive, striking out two in an inning of work. Kirkland came from behind the plate to toss the ninth. He ended the game by striking out Gary Cramer on a 93-mile per hour fastball.

The Tigers will look to build on its season-high performance on Wednesday, when they wrap up the midweek series versus Samford at 4 p.m.