Over the weekend, the University of Memphis went 3-1 in their first softball tournament of the season. The Tigers will play their first of four games in the Northwestern State Tournament in Natchitoches, Louisiana, this weekend. The Tigers will play one game Thursday, a doubleheader on Friday and one on Saturday.
Last weekend
In the loss to North Carolina State, Memphis had seven strikeouts. The Tigers got three hits. Freshman Kendall Lee’s hit allowed shortstop Baylee Smith to score. The Tigers played an effective defense, allowing four hits and two runs in the matchup.
A look at the opponents
Memphis will play Northwestern State on Thursday. The Lady Demons are 2-3. Last week, they saw solo home runs against both No. 9 Baylor and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. They had 12 runs in 10 hits against Arkansas Pine Bluff on Tuesday.
Memphis will face Jackson State on Friday. This will be Jackson State’s first game of the season after the team’s “Earn your Stripes” tournament was canceled due to inclement weather.
The Tigers will also face Stephen F. Austin on Friday and Saturday. The Lumberjacks are 3-1 after the Louisiana Monroe Mardi Gras Classic. They see about eight hits per game and about 6.5 runs per game. Four different players scored home runs opening weekend, and the Lumberjacks won each game where they saw a home run. In each of their wins, the Lumberjacks had 6 RBI.
Players to watch
Memphis pitcher Mariah Nichols
The freshman allowed eight hits and three runs over the weekend. Only one run was earned. She also recorded a strikeout.
“Mariah did a great job for her first appearance as a freshman,” head coach Natalie Poole said in a press release.
Memphis outfielder Delaney Smith
The freshman had a strong weekend her first season as a Tiger. She had three hits and two runs over the weekend. Against LIU Brooklyn, Smith recorded both stolen bases the Tigers had during the game. The outfielder had a fielding percentage of 100 percent in two games this weekend.
Molly Smith delivers the ball to the plate. The senior leads the Tigers in ERA at 1.98 and has recorded 18 strikeouts this season.
