University of Memphis Athletics

Tulane Tosses No-Hitter as American Offenses Explode Friday

02.29.20

Wichita State 19, Hofstra 10 - Box Score
Wichita State (7-2) pounded out 20 hits and scored 19 runs, defeating the Hofstra Pride, 19-10, in its first game in Reno, Nev., Friday at Don Weir Field and Peccole Park on the University of Nevada campus.
 
The Shockers' 19 runs were the most in a single game since WSU scored 20 in a 20-6 victory at Southern Illinois March 21, 2015, while the 20 hits marked the highest hit total in a contest since Wichita State compiled 20 knocks in a 13-6 win at Memphis May 19, 2018.
 
Eight out of the nine WSU starters recorded two or more hits in the game. Freshman Couper Cornblum led the Shockers power surge, going 3-for-5 with a triple, two doubles and four RBI, while Hunter Gibson and Ross Cadena both added a trio of hits and RBI.

Cincinnati 18, Oakland 0 (7 innings) - Box Score
Cincinnati earned its first win of the season in a big way at the 2020 home-opener at Marge Schott Stadium. The Bearcats beat Oakland 18-0 in a seven-inning contest. Free bases were the key to success as UC walked 17 times and had five hit batters in the game to go along with seven hits and three Oakland errors.
 
Every Bearcat starting batter had either a hit or a RBI in the game. Jace Mercer was 1-for-1 with five runs scored. He walked four times, had a double and stole four bases. Joey Wiemer walked four times and scored four runs. Wyatt Stapp led the team with five RBI as he walked three times and went 1-for-2 at the plate.

Memphis 24, Western Illinois 3 - Box Score
On a chilly evening at FedExPark on Friday, Memphis provided the hot offense in a 24-3 win against Western Illinois. The Tigers' 24 runs are the most in a single game since 2003, while their 17 hits are a season high. The victory also pushed the Tigers' win streak to five games.

Junior Ben Brooks turned in his second straight four-hit game, going 4-for-6 at the plate and added career high in RBIs (five) and runs scored (four). A total of six players turned in multiple-hit nights. Behind Brooks, sophomore Hunter Goodman tallied a trio of hits with a career-best seven RBI. Goodman also connected on a pair of home runs for his third multi-homer game of his young career.

No. 17 UCF 12, (rv) CSUN 5 - Box Score
After a slow start for the No. 17 Knights and trailing for the first three and a half innings of the ball game, UCF rallied back to claim a dominant 12-5 win over Cal State Northridge on Friday Night. CSUN entered the contest at an undefeated 7-0, picking up its first lost of the season at the hands of the newly ranked UCF.

The Matadors pegged Colton Gordon for three runs on three hits in the first inning, putting the Knights in an early hole. UCF answered with two runs in their half of the first as Pena, Wingo, and Romano teamed up to put together three hits. The second inning saw each team put up a lone run, before the Knights tied the ball game in the fourth inning from a Gephry Pena RBI.

Proving why they've received national attention, the Knights put together a couple big innings in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring three and five runs respectively. The sixth inning saw Tom Josten drive in an RBI, followed up by Jordan Rathbone with a single to drive in two more. UCF blew it up in the seventh with four straight one-out singles with RBIs from Dalton Wingo and Gephry Pena. Jordan Rathbone and Nick Romano also picked up hits and drove in runs in the inning, putting the Knights up by eight runs and effectively sealing the victory.

USF 2, Northwestern 1 - Box Score
Collin Sullivan recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts in six innings pitched as the Bulls (3-7) defeated Northwestern (3-4) 2-1 on Friday night at the USF Baseball Stadium. Northwestern drew first blood, scoring one run in the top of the first, but Sullivan found his composure and struck out a career-high 14 batters en route to earning his first win of the season.
 
The Bulls capitalized on a Northwestern error to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth. After reaching on an error, Dylan Buck scored the Bulls' first run of the game after yet another Northwestern error, allowing Julio Cortez to reach base. Jordan Santos gave the Bulls the lead with a two-out RBI single to right field, scoring Cortez.
 
Those two runs proved to be enough as Graham Hoffman picked up his first save of the season, striking out one batter through one inning of relief.

No. 29 Tulane 2, Middle Tennessee 0 - Box Score
For the first time since April 26, 2005, Tulane pitched a no-hitter with a dominant 2-0 win over Middle Tennessee Friday night at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.
 
The Green Wave (7-2) combined to throw nine no-hit innings while allowing only one baserunner, coming on an error in the sixth inning. Starter Braden Olthoff (3-0) posted six innings and finished the night striking out eight, with one fly out and eight ground outs.
 
Junior Clifton Slagel relieved Olthoff to the tune of 2.1 perfect innings, striking out three, before Keagan Gillies came on to record the final pair of outs in the ninth. Tulane pitchers combined to record 12 strikeouts and issue zero walks.

(rv) Indiana 11, No. 17 ECU 5 - Box Score
Indiana's pitching struck out 13 while Drew Ashley and Grant Richardson each hit home runs lifting the Hoosiers to an 11-5 win over No. 17 East Carolina Friday night during day one action at the 17th Annual Keith LeClair Classic inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win Hoosiers improve to 5-2 and the Pirates fall to 7-2.
 
Trailing 3-2 heading to the third inning, Indiana pushed across four runs taking the lead for good at 6-3. The Hoosiers collected five hits in the frame which was highlighted by Richardson's two-run homer that plated Ashley before him. Hunter Jessee's two-run double down the right field line scored both Jordan Fucci and Collin Hopkins.

Texas State 11, Houston 10 - Box Score
Houston fell to Texas State, 11-10, on Friday night in its series opener at Sanders Field at Schroeder Park. The Cougars fell to 2-6 on the season, while Texas State improved to 7-3. Houston trailed 11-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth and scored seven runs in the final frame, but could not complete the comeback effort.

In the bottom of the ninth, Blake Way recorded his second home run of the season, with a two-run blast to left field to cut the deficit down to 11-7. Luke Almendarez laced a two-out double down the left field to get the tying run to the plate. Dylan Post's RBI single brought the Cougars within one run.

New Orleans 8, (rv) UConn 3 - Box Score
UConn (3-4) lost the first game of its three-game set at New Orleans, 8-3, on Friday night at Maestri Field.

Chris Winkel led the way for the UConn offense with his first three-hit game of 2020. The senior captain delivered a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to bring the Huskies within a run 4-3. But the Privateers responded with a four-run frame in the eighth inning to pull away from the Huskies.