March 15, 2000

Box Score

Cape Girardeau, Mo. - Memphis erased an early four run deficit to tie the Southeast Missouri Indians in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday, but they were unable to hold off the impressive offensive power of the home team.

Southeast Missouri started off a four-run second inning with an RBI single from Shane Allen. Then Kevin Meyer hit a three-run shot give the Indians a big early lead. Then in the fourth inning, Memphis third baseman Tyler Shelton knotted things up in one monster swing. He hit his first home run as a Tiger with an opposite field grand slam off of Indian pitcher Tommy Thomas.

With the game tied in the middle of the fourth inning, Southeast Missouri came out with a monster fourth inning of their own. With two outs, Clemente Bonilla homered over the right field wall, and Jeremy Johnson immediately followed with a double. Then Darin Kinsolving crushed a home run of his own over the right field wall, and the Indians left the fourth inning with a 7-4 lead. In the fifth, Southeast Missouri extended the lead to 9-4 off of a home run by Charlie Marino and an RBI double by Zach Borowiak.

Then in the top of the eighth inning, the Tigers loaded the bases, and second baseman Daniel Uggla knocked in two runs with a single and Jay Fik knocked in another with a double down the right field line. Next, a Nate Sams sacrifice fly scored Uggla and a Wes Crane single scored Fik. On the next at bat, Tyler Shelton singled to right and Crane was called out on a play at third. But the Tigers ended the top of the eighth inning in a 9-9 tie.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Kevin Meyer hit a two run home run off of Sean Carlson, followed by a double by Denver Stuckey. Stuckey later scored on a throwing error, and the Tigers finally got out of the eighth inning after giving up three runs. They were unable to muster any offense in the ninth.

Memphis used five pitchers on the afternoon, and Jason Carter went the longest, pitching 2.1 innings in relief of Andy Whitten, who went two innings in his third start of the season. Josh Cartwright and Lane Dawson went 1.2 and one innings, respectively, and Sean Carlson, who came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning, gave up the game winner and was credited with his second loss of the season.

The Tigers travel to Hattiesburg, Miss. this weekend for a three game series with Southern Mississippi that will open C-USA play for both schools.