Amar's Single Lifts Memphis Over ECU
May 20, 2006 | Baseball
May 20, 2006
MEMPHIS, TENN. - Adam Amar's sixth hit of the game in the bottom of the ninth scored Cory Barton and gave Memphis (30-26, 13-11) a series sweep of East Carolina (32-24, 10-14), 11-10, Saturday afternoon in Conference USA action at Nat Buring Stadium.
Barton started the ninth inning after being hit by a Cody Leggett breaking ball and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Bill Moss was hit by a pitch, Amar singled to left-center plating the winning run.
Matt Yokely picked up his second win after working two innings and allowing three runs on four hits. Stater Ben Grisham lasted three innings and gave up six runs on nine hits.
Leggett, who was making his first appearance since the Houston series, fell to 0-1 on the year. He worked 1 1/3 innings allowing one run on one hit. Dustin Sasser lasted six innings allowing four runs on ten hits.
Amar led the Memphis team offensively going 6-for-6 from the plate with two home runs, a double and five RBI. K.K. Chalmers finished with three hits, with Moss, Joey Lieberman and Barton each collecting two hits. Five different Tigers belted home runs on the day.
Jake Smith finished the day going 4-for-5 from the plate with two RBI. Harrison Eldridge pounded out three hits, while Dale Mollenhauer, Brandon Henderson, and Ryan Tousley each had two hits.
The Pirates jumped out early on Memphis scoring four runs in the top of the first, which was highlighted by Tousley's fifth home run. Eldridge led off the game with a double to right field and scored on Mollenhauer's single up the middle. Brandon Henderson laced a double down the right field line and scored on Tousley's bomb, which extended his hit streak to 15-games.
Moss cut into the Pirate lead on a two-run shot to left field that scored Chalmers making the game 4-2.
Henderson and Tousley hit back-to-back jacks in the fourth inning to extend ECU's lead to four, 6-2. For Tousley it was his first multi-home run game of his career.
Mollenhauer drilled his seventh home run of the season with a solo shot to left field to push the lead to five, 7-2.
Memphis cut into the Pirate lead scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Amar blasted a solo shot to center field and consecutive doubles by Kyle Norrid and Lieberman down the left field line plated another run.
Amar tied the game at seven in the seventh with his second home run of the day, a three-run shot off Carter Harrell that went to right-center scoring Will Petersen and Bill Moss.
Three consecutive solo home runs by Barton, Chalmers and Petersen in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Memphis 10-7 lead.
ECU answered in the top of the ninth plating three runs to knot the game at ten. Adam Hodges pinch hit single to right field to get things going. Jake Dean singled to first and Eldridge doubled down the left field line scoring Jamie Ray, who ran for Hodges. Dean scored on a wild pitch and Smith's fourth hit plated the tying run.
ECU will be back in action Wednesday when they face Tulane in the first game of the 2006 Conference USA Baseball Championships in Houston, Texas at 10 a.m. (EST).
