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Despite efforts, Tigers lose to Navy

Comebacks are an exciting part of baseball - especially if a late-game rally leads to a win.

Over the weekend, the Tigers baseball team came back from three deficits to beat Oklahoma and Notre Dame before dropping the championship game of the Service Academies Classic to Navy on Sunday.

"I'm happy for all the guys," said head coach Daron Schoenrock. "All three games were different types of comebacks, but they were all exciting."

Against the Sooners on Friday, the Tigers (3-1) trailed 1-0 after a sacrifice fly by Joseph Hughes in the fifth inning. But Memphis freshman pitcher Scott McGregor kept the game tight against OU senior pitcher Daniel McCutchen.

McGregor gave up just three hits over six innings while striking out three and allowing no earned runs. For his performance, he was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week.

"It's a pretty nice accomplishment," he said. "I didn't believe it at first because I just thought everybody was joking around with me."

Designated hitter Robbie Goss said the award is huge for the freshman, and the upperclassmen took notice.

"To see him take that game under his control made him seem like a mature, upper-class pitcher out there," Goss said.

Senior Drew Jaudon finished the job against the Sooners, pitching three scoreless innings and striking out two.

McGregor said it was a "statement weekend" for the team before they head off to play four of their next five games on the road.

Goss went 6-for-12 in the three games, including hitting for two RBIs against Notre Dame. He was named to the All-Tournament team along with junior outfielder Will Petersen.

"I was just up there at the plate trying to relax and hit it hard," Goss said. "(Assistant coach Jerry Zulli) was preaching setting up early the whole game, so it was pretty cool to get on the (All-Tournament) team."

On Saturday, the Tigers trailed the Irish 5-0 before junior Adam Amar and Goss got Memphis on the board in the sixth inning. After tying the game 5-5 in the ninth on a double by Petersen, junior Bill Moss doubled to center in the 10th.

Junior Joey Lieberman then made his first-ever Division I swing matter with a game-winning home run as a pinch hitter.

"It was an exciting moment," Schoenrock said. "He just attacked the first fastball with a good swing.

"Pinch-hitting is one of the most difficult things in sports, too, since the pitcher usually has the advantage over a cold hitter."

Against the Midshipmen, however, the Tigers couldn't finish with a win after yet another 5-0 comeback. Three total Memphis errors and a torrid five-run fourth inning put the Tigers in a hole just a bit too deep.

The Tigers play at home today at 4 p.m. against UT-Martin before heading on the road for a four-game trip with a game against Arkansas-Little Rock and a three-game series with Nicholls State in Louisiana.

"It's going to be a challenging week with these road games," Schoenrock said. "We'll learn a lot more about them this week, but so far they're doing great."


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