MT Drops Series Finale, 8-7 in Extras

Sunday, March 21

Memphis, TN

12:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

11-8

Memphis

9-8

Middle Tennessee

Memphis

3/21/2021 5:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: @MTAthletics

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee baseball team fell to Memphis, 8-7, in an exciting back and forth extra-inning ballgame on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Raiders' (11-8, C-USA 0-0) series finale with the Tigers (9-8, AAC 0-0) featured three ties and four lead switches, and moves MT to 2-3 in extra-inning games this season.

Memphis jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run to left field off the bat of first baseman Taylor Howell.

After allowing the homer in the second, MT starting pitcher Trent Seibert settled in and did not allow a run through his departure in the eighth. Seibert pitched seven innings, allowed seven hits, struck out five and didn't allow a walk in his third start of the season.

The Blue Raiders began to claw back with a run in the fifth inning from an infield hit by Fausto Lopez that score Bryce Symlar.

In the next inning, catcher Jake Hagenow evened the game at 2-2, with his third home run of the year. The Knoxville native finished the game 1-for-3 at the plate with two walks, a hit by pitch and scored three Raider runs.

Symlar gave the Blue Raiders a brief, 4-2, lead in the top of the eighth inning on a two-RBI single to right field that scored Hagenow and Cole Escher.

In the bottom of the ninth inning Memphis managed to manufacture a pair of runs, tying the game, 4-4, and sent it into extra frames.

MT third baseman Brett Coker pushed the Blue Raiders in front of Memphis in the top of the tenth inning with a three-run home run breaking the stalemate, 7-4.

Coker's long ball was his third of the season and ties him with Jake Hagenow for the team lead.

Memphis erased the Raider lead in the bottom of the tenth with a three-run home run of their own off the bat of Hunter Goodman, tying the game once again, 7-7.

Goodman's game tying blast was the fifth home run of the series for the Tigers and nine of Memphis' 12 runs this series came via the long ball.

After MT failed to capitalize with a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the eleventh, Memphis pushed across a run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, ending the game 8-7.

Next time out, the Blue Raiders will begin Conference USA play at UAB on Friday, March 26. The Raiders and the Blazers will kick off their four-game weekend series beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Regions Field.

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