MEMPHIS – The University of Memphis baseball team dropped its series finale to Cincinnati, 5-3, on Saturday afternoon at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field.
 
With the loss, Memphis moved to 17-16 (2-4) on the season. The Bearcats improved to 14-19 (3-3) on the year with the loss.
 
“It was a tough weekend overall for us,” head coach Kerrick Jackson said. “Right now, we have a mentality where we are waiting for the wrong thing to happen, and that manifests itself. We are not putting ourselves in a position to go out and play clean baseball, and that’s the one thing I’ve asked them to do all year, and I’m going to continue to ask them to do. We need to turn the page. The guys will go have a good Easter, and then back here on Monday to prepare to play Ole Miss on Tuesday.”
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Tigers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Jonah Sutton tripled to right-center field to bring home Brayland Skinner.
• Cincinnati responded with a pair of runs in the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead on a single and a sac-fly.
• The Bearcats added a run to their lead in the fifth on an Alec Jones single to center field.
• An Anthony Hansen sac-fly scored Jake Curtis in the fifth to tie the game before Brayland Skinner clutched up for a two-out single through the left side that brought home Austin Baskin and tied the game at 3-3.
• Cincinnati took the lead back in the top of the seventh on a Kerrington Cross double down the left field line to make the score 4-3, Bearcats.
• Cincinnati added a run to its lead in the ninth on a fielder’s choice to go up 5-3 and that score proved final.
 
NOTABLES
• Seth Garner made his eighth start of the season and threw five solid innings, allowing a pair of earned runs on three hits while striking out two and walking three.
• Luke Ellis relieved Garner and was tagged with the loss to go to 2-2 on the season. He went two full innings and allowed one lone run while striking out three.
• Lefty closer Dalton Kendrick pitched two innings of relief and allowed one run on no hits. He struck out three and walked three.
• Skinner finished the afternoon 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
• Sutton was 1-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and a walk.
• Hansen ended the day 1-for-4 with an RBI. The senior from Columbia, Mo., has hit safely in 27-of-31 games played this season.
• Curtis tripled and ended his day 1-for-3 with a run.
 
UP NEXT
• The Tigers head south to Oxford, Miss., on Tuesday for a rematch with the Rebels at 6:30 p.m.