CLEARWATER, Florida – No. 8 Memphis hit four home runs on the way to an 11-1, 7-inning victory over East Carolina in the second game of the 2021 American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship.
The Tigers (18-37) used big innings in the third (five runs) and fifth (four runs) to outpace the Pirates (38-14). Hunter Goodman, Alec Trela and Austin Baskin each had two hits and two runs driven in, while Ian Bibiloni and Taylor Howell each drove in two more.
The four home runs by the Tigers ties a championship single-game record with Cincinnati in 2019 (vs. UConn) and UCF in 2014 (vs. Houston).
Carson Stinnett (4-5) earned the win after allowing one run in 6.1 innings of work with three strikeouts, while closer Takoda Metoxen came on in a non-save situation and stuck out the final two Pirates. Tyler Smith (2-3) took the loss after giving up 5 runs in 2.1 innings.
With the win, Memphis moves on to face No. 5 UCF on Thursday, May 27 at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT. With the loss, East Carolina will play No. 4 Cincinnati in an elimination game on Wednesday, May 26 at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT.
The American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Connor Norby started the game off by hitting the second pitch of the bottom of the first over the left field fence to give East Carolina a 1-0 lead, but it was the only ECU hit until the fourth inning.
Memphis snagged the lead in the second on a bases-loaded walk, a sacrifice fly and a 2-run double by Hunter Goodman. Baskin drove in Goodman with a single to center to make it 5-1.
In the fifth inning, Memphis’ Trela, Baskin and Howell hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to push the lead to 9-1. The Tigers pushed two more across in the seventh on a solo home run by Bibiloni and a sacrifice fly by Howell.
It is the fourth consecutive American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship that the No. 1 seed has fallen to the No. 8 seed in the quarterfinal round (2019 – Wichita State over East Carolina, 2018 – Tulane over Houston, 2017 – East Carolina over USF).
Championship Schedule
Tuesday, May 25 | ESPN+
Game 1: No. 5 UCF 14, No. 4 Cincinnati 10
Game 2: No. 8 Memphis 11, No. 1 East Carolina 1 (7 innings)
Game 3: No. 7 Houston vs. No. 2 Tulane | 5:10 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 South Florida vs. No. 3 Wichita State | 47 minutes following Game 4
Wednesday, May 26 | ESPN+
Game 5: No. 4 Cincinnati vs. No. 1 East Carolina | 3 p.m.
Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 | 47 minutes following Game 5
Thursday, May 27 | ESPN+
Game 7: No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 5 UCF | 3 p.m.
Game 8: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 | 47 minutes following Game 7
Friday, May 28 | ESPN+
Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 7 | 1 p.m.
Game 10: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 8 | 47 minutes following Game 9
Saturday, May 29 | ESPN+
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 | 9 a.m.
Game 12: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10 | 47 minutes following Game 11
Game 13 (if necessary): Loser of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 11 | TBD
Game 14 (if necessary): Loser of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 12 | TBD
Sunday, May 30 | ESPNews
Game 15: Semifinal winners | Noon
All times Eastern
