April 18, 2010

Box Score

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Maddie McKinley hit a two-out walk-off single to lift Memphis past Southern Miss 3-2 in 10 innings Sunday at the Tiger Softball Complex. McKinley’s single allowed Alex Marshall to score the game-winning run.

Vanessa Walle, who entered the game in the 8th, picked up the victory for the Tigers, while Gabby Luciani suffered the loss for the Golden Eagles. Walle improves to 8-8 while Luciani, who pitched all 9.2 innings, fell to 8-8.

This was the longest game of the season for Memphis, which suffered a 5-4 loss in nine innings against Saint Louis. The Tigers improve to 3-2 in extra inning games this season.

The Golden Eagles got things started early, scoring one run in the top of the first on an RBI single by Alexis Hurley. Southern Miss held onto its 1-0 advantage until Heather Mott scored in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at five.

Southern Miss took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh after an RBI double by Leslie LeJune allowed Brandi Alonzo to score from first. Bernardino had a beat on the ball in left field and threw home, but the ball ricocheted off the umpire allowing the Alonzo to score.

Walle responded for Memphis by blasting a solo home run over the left field wall to tie the game at two and send things into extra innings. The home run was the fourth of the season for Walle and the sixth of her career.

Both teams went scoreless in the eighth inning, with Memphis stranding a runner in scoring position. The Tigers and Golden Eagles again went scoreless in the ninth, with both teams stranding runners in scoring position.

The Tigers again put runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the 10th. McKinley connected on a pitch and hit a hard grounder up the middle, and Alex Marshall slid into home for the winning run.

This is the sixth walk-off hit of the season for the Tigers and the first for McKinley. She had been 0-for-4 on the day prior to getting the game-winning single.

Freshman Carly Hummel started in the circle for Memphis and pitched eight innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and striking out two.

Memphis will next play a single game against Arkansas on Wednesday in Little Rock, Ark., at 6:30 p.m. The game is the only one scheduled for the Tigers next week.