Extra Inning Comeback Helps Tigers take two from Central Arkansas

Wednesday, March 5

Memphis, Tenn.

5 PM

University of Memphis

11-8

Central Arkansas

2-14

Central Arkansas

Memphis

Extra Inning Comeback Helps Tigers take two from Central Arkansas

Mar 05, 2008 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

March 5, 2008

Box Score |  Notes

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

UCA (2-14)      200 000 020 - 4  6  1
Memphis (11-8)  001 001 021 - 5  8  1
WP: Bossom (4-3) LP: Behrens (1-5)
HR: (MEM) Mott (3) (UCA) Bearden (1)
2B: (MEM) Sirman (1)

UCA      000 001 - 1   2  2
Memphis  330 003 - 9  12  3
WP: Valle (6-2) LP: Harris (1-7)
HR: (MEM) Kassner (2)
3B: (MEM) Mott (2)
2B: (MEM) Dolfo (3), Kelso (4), Nance (2), Kassner (1)

MEMPHIS - Falling behind early, the University of Memphis put together a comeback run to force extra innings against Central Arkansas on Wednesday at the Tiger Softball Complex and battled the Bears to a 5-4 ninth inning victory. The win completed a midweek doubleheader sweep over UCA (2-14) with Memphis (11-8) winning the first game 9-1 in six.

After falling behind 2-0 in game two to Central Arkansas, the Tigers staged a comeback tie the game and send it to extra innings. With the international tie breaker rule in effect, the Bears hit a two-run homer to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the eighth. Memphis followed with a two-run shot by redshirt freshman Heather Mott to left field to knot the game at four.

The Tigers held the Bears to no runs in the top of the ninth, and then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. Junior Kimmi Hayden delivered a game winning single down the left field line to score junior Leila Dolfo from third and give Memphis the victory. The Tigers improve to 3-0 in extra innings this season.

Hayden had walk-off hits in both games, including the game-winning single with the bases loaded in game two. She finished with five in the two games with two RBI and two runs scored.

Senior Lindsay Kelso also had five hits in the twin bill after finishing 4-for-4 in game one. She finished the day with three RBI and two runs scored.

Mott led the team with five RBI in the two games and had a triple and a homer. Dolfo scored four runs, including three of the Tigers' five in game two. Freshman Kim Sirman went 3-for-3 in game two and had her first career double.

Freshmen Janelle Valle and Kimber Bossom both picked up victories for the Tigers' in the two wins. Valle (6-2) pitched all six innings in game one and allowed one unearned run on two hits with one strikeout. Bossom (4-3) pitched six innings in relief and gave up one earned run on four hits with one strikeout.

The Tigers run ruled the Bears in game one, scoring three runs in both the first and second inning and three more in the bottom of the sixth. Hayden hit a walk-off single to centerfield with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to drive in Kelso for the run rule.

Memphis will next open Conference USA play by hosting Marshall in a three-game series beginning Saturday. The Tigers will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. and close the series on Sunday with a single game at noon.