Feb. 25, 2006

Box Score

Memphis-Notre Dame Box Score in PDF Format
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Memphis-Buffalo Box Score in PDF Format
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Notre Dame (4-4)   100 012 0  -  4 5 1
Memphis (5-2)      000 001 0  -  1 6 2


Buffalo (2-1)      100 000 0  -  1 1 2
Memphis (5-3)      000 000 0  -  0 5 1

MIAMI, Fla. - Memphis found it very difficult to bring runs plateward Saturday in two games at the Florida International Golden Panther Tournament, as the U of M picked up 11 hits on the day, but saw the bats stymied with runners in scoring position. The Tigers plated just one run in losses to Notre Dame and Buffalo.

On the pitching side, however, Memphis saw three solid performances, particularly in game two against Buffalo where Jenna Kubesch and Nicki Johnson combined for a one-hitter, while giving up just one unearned run.

The lone Buffalo tally came off Kubesch in the top of the first when Bull leadoff hitter Mary Russel reached on an error, then scored on a base hit by pitcher Sophie Barstad.

From there, Kubesch went three hitless, scoreless innings, striking out four and walking four before Johnson came in to relieve in the top of the fifth. Johnson then completed the remaining three innings, striking out two Bull batters to keep the Tigers within one.

The Memphis offense was unable to capatilize though, despite putting runners on base in every inning but the first and seventh.

The Tigers missed their best opportunity to get on the board when Leandra Hines was called out at the plate while attempting to score on a Leila Dolfo single to right field in the bottom of the third.

Barstad allowed just two hits from that point on to preserve the 1-0 win for the Bulls.

Hines was the only Tiger to have more than one hit in the game, as she went 2-3 with a pair of singles.

The first game of the day was a similar story for the Tigers, with Notre Dame starting pitcher Heather Booth stifling the Tiger bats for a majority of the game. The lone Memphis run came in the bottom of the sixth, when Kara Ross knocked a two-out double to leftcenter and pinch runner Laura Mahoney scored on a two-out base hit by Kimmi Hayden.

Prior to that, Memphis' only real chance to score came after a Dolfo double and a walk to Bridgette McNulty put runners on first and second with one out. Booth however, induced a Hayden strikeout and a Lindsey Pridgen groundout to work out of the inning.

Notre Dame picked up a run in the first on three walks and a base hit, but Dolfo, who started the game on the mound, kept the Irish offense quiet for the next three innings before giving up a run in the top of the fifth to make the deficit 2-0.

Notre Dame then scored two more in the sixth to make their lead 4-0 at the time.

Dolfo worked the full seven innings in the circle, giving up five hits, and just two earned runs, while striking out two and walking four.

Hines led the U of M at the plate in game one as well, going 2-3 with two singles, to give her a 4-6 effort with four singles on the day. Hayden was the only other Tiger to have more than one hit in the two games, as she went 2-6 with a pair of singles and the only Memphis RBI.

With the two losses, Memphis falls to 5-3 on the season and 2-2 for the tournament. That mark is expected to make the Tigers either the two or three seed in Sunday's single-elimination championship round. That would mean that the U of M would square off with Buffalo at 1 p.m., with a win advancing them to the final game at 3 p.m.