By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The Matt Riser-coached Memphis Tigers raised eyebrows two weeks ago when they beat the UTSA Roadrunners two out of three in a series at their home ball park in Tennessee.
In that regard, top-seeded UTSA likely isn’t surprised that Memphis has won two straight games at the American Baseball Championship.
After downing the Charlotte 49ers 13-9 on opening-day Wednesday at the tournament in Clearwater, Fla., the fifth-seeded Tigers followed with a 7-3 victory over the error-prone UAB Blazers on Thursday.
As a result, Memphis has advanced to Friday with some momentum to play against regular-season, co-champion UTSA.
The No. 3 Rice Owls will take on the No. 2 East Carolina Pirates at 8 a.m. central time, followed by the Tigers and the Roadrunners at noon.
The winning teams will get the rest of the day off, but the losers will play again later in the afternoon to complete Friday’s four-game bonanza at the BayCare Ballpark.
For Memphis, left-handed starter David Case pitched eight innings to earn the victory, while leadoff batter Freddy Rodriguez stroked three hits to give him seven in his first two games of the tournament.
After falling behind in the first inning, the Tigers scored four runs in the second inning off UAB starter Brendan Carter to take a 4-2 lead. They added three more in the seventh for the eventual final score.
The Blazers, who ranked eighth out of 10 teams in the American in fielding percentage, made five errors in their tournament opener.
Rice downs Wichita State
The third-seeded Owls played long ball and then small ball and rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth Thursday to edge the No. 7 Shockers 5-4 in the first game of the day.
Kutter-Gage Webb led off for Rice in the ninth and slammed a solo home run to right field off Brady Hamilton.
Jacob Devenny, swinging on a 2-0 count, followed with a single up the middle. Next man up, Cole Green, bunted toward the second baseman for a single that moved Devenny to third.
Lorenzo Rios bunted, as well, and it scored Devenny with the winning run on a throwing error by Hamilton.
American Baseball Championship
At Clearwater, Fla.
Wednesday’s games
Game 1 – No. 7 Wichita State beats No. 6 FAU, 3-2
Game 2 – No. 5 Memphis beats No. 8 Charlotte, 13-9
Thursday
Game 3 – No. 3 Rice beats No. 7 Wichita State, 5-4
Game 4 – No. 5 Memphis beats No. 4 UAB, 7-3
Friday
Game 5 – No. 2 East Carolina vs. No. 3 Rice, 8 a.m.
Game 6 – No. 1 UTSA vs. No. 5 Memphis, 47 minutes afterward
Game 7 – No. 4 Memphis vs. Game 5 loser, 3:30 p.m.
Game 8 – No. 7 Wichita State vs. Game 6 loser, 47 minutes afterward
Saturday
Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9 a.m.
Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 47 minutes afterward
Game 11 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 loser, 47 minutes afterward
Sunday
Game 12 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 11 a.m.
Notable
All games on ESPN+ except for Game 12, on ESPNEWS. The tournament was single elimination on Wednesday, meaning that FAU and Charlotte have been ousted. The tournament is now double elimination until a single championship game on Sunday.
Records
UTSA 36-19
East Carolina 33-21-1
Rice 35-22
UAB 31-25
Memphis 24-32
x-FAU 28-28
Wichita State 29-28
x-Charlotte 28-28
x-eliminated from the tournament