Memphis lost Friday night against Wichita State, 6-4, eliminating Matt Riser's team from the conference tournament. The Tigers won back-to-back games over Charlotte and UAB to start the tournament, but they fell to UTSA in the quarterfinals on Friday, sending them to an elimination game against the Shockers.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Seth Impson made the start for the Tigers, but he only lasted 1.1 innings after allowing a homer in the first and second innings. Riser turned to Davis Oswalt in the second inning, and he was able to get Memphis out of the inning without allowing another run.
Impson was credited with the loss.
The Tigers responded with a run in the bottom of the second inning, cutting their deficit in half, after back-to-back hits from James Smith IV and Shane Cox. Smith opened the inning with a triple, and Cox knocked him in with an RBI single.
Memphis wasn't able to capitalize on its momentum, and Wichita State recorded three straight outs after Smith scored.
Shockers' starting pitcher Caleb Reed responded to the two runs with a groundout, a strikeout and a lineout to get out of the inning with the lead intact. The redshirt senior was massive for Wichita State, and he picked up the win after striking out eight batters and allowing three runs on five hits and a pair of walks in 6.2 innings.
Oswalt remained in the game for the Tigers in the third inning, and he allowed three runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of work. He added six strikeouts before exiting the game.
The Tigers got things going in the seventh inning, scoring a pair of runs. With two outs and one on, Riser's team hit back-to-back singles, including an RBI single from Trae Cassidy, before a wild pitch scored another run.
Back-to-back walks from Amar Tsengeg loaded the bases, giving the Tigers an opportunity to take the lead. The Shockers went to the bullpen, and left-handed pitcher Brady Owens entered the game, and got Freddy Rodriguez to line out to the left fielder, ending the inning.
Wichita State's first batter reached on an error to start the eighth inning, and he ended up scoring on an RBI walk after two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Riser used both Brayden Sanders, who lasted one pitch, and Carson Fair in the eighth inning, and Fair was able to force a ground ball to get out of the inning with bases loaded.
Memphis loaded the bases again in the bottom of the eighth thanks to three walks, but like the seventh, a Tigers' batter lined out to left field with two outs, ending the inning.
Fair remained in the game for the ninth and got out of the inning after facing only four batters, but Memphis just didn't have enough for a ninth-inning comeback. With one out in the ninth, Marcus Smith hit a solo home run to cut the deficit to two runs, but the next two batters were retired to end the game.
The Tigers finish the season 24-33 overall and 13-14 in conference play, their most conference wins since the 2013 season. There are several questions for Memphis heading into the offseason, and it will be interesting to see what Riser does over the next few months.
