Memphis Falls To Kennesaw State To Begin I-75 Challenge
We previewed the opener of the I-75 Challenge for the Memphis Tigers softball program as they took on the Kennesaw State Owls. In the end, the Tigers would fall, 5-3, to the Owls in a hard-fought contest on the Kennesaw State campus.
We will take a look at what transpired in the game, some players who stood out, and preview the next opponents in the weekend.
What Happened In The Loss?
As we started from Bailey Park, Kennesaw State got on the scoreboard first as Jojo Johnson slapped a single to score Ava Strickland for a 1-0 score in the bottom of the second. The Owls would swoop in for more runs in the bottom of the fourth when Emma Brinkman singled, scoring Madison Miller to take an early two-run lead after the bottom of the inning.
The Tigers answered in the top of the sixth when McKaylee Polk hit her third double of the season to score Taniyah Brown. Arianna Cox-Cole singled to score Polk as the Tigers struck again with two outs in the inning to tie the game at two.
This would not last long as the Owls struck twice in the bottom half of the inning when Ty Hardman doubled to left as she drove in Macie Howes and Alora Bevily to take a 4-2 lead. The Owls extended this lead, to three runs, as Hardman scored on a Hannah Harvey triple.
In the top of the seventh, Memphis attempted to make a comeback as Kayla Clement scored on a fielder’s choice as Taniyah Brown reached the base. This would be the final run for Memphis as the Owls shut down the Tigers to secure the win.
Tigers Who Stood Out
Even in the fourth loss of the season, there were still some notable performances. We saw Neely Taylor continue her streak of reaching base. Taylor has now reached base in all twelve games played in 2025. In addition, Taylor and Kennedy Semien have a team-leading .457 batting average. Joining Taylor and Semien are Zoe Adebayo and Taniyah Brown all have an OPS Adobe 1.000 this season. In the loss, Memphis softball saw Shelby Durbin finish the day 2/3 from the plate.
The Memphis program has scored runs in bunches to start the season as they entered the weekend averaging 8.4 runs per game. With this, Memphis has outscored their opponents 95-42 so far this season. To the contrary, the Tigers have been outscored 6-4 in the seventh inning of games and this will be something to watch as the season transpires.
Who Is Next?
As we look to the next opponent for Memphis, we analyze the #24-ranked Kentucky Wildcats. Entering the weekend the Wildcats suffered consecutive losses to #9 Oklahoma and #4 UCLA in the ESPN Shriners Children Clearwater Invitational. In that same invitational, the Wildcats defeated the American Conference favorite, Wichita State, 2-0, and Clemson, 7-6, for their wins over the weekend.
So far in the I-75 Challenge, the Wildcats have split their games. In the first game of Friday, the Wildcats fell, 3-1, to Coastal Carolina. In game two, Kentucky routed Georgia Tech, 10-0, in five innings of play.
Leading the Wildcats is Peyton Plotts who has a .419 average from the plate. In addition to this, Plotts leads the team with 13 hits, 2 home runs, and 13 RBIs. She is one of six players on the roster to have at least a .300 average at the plate. In the circle, the Wildcats have a team ERA of 2.13 and use a plethora of pitchers in their rotation. All members of the quintet have recorded a win and have at least nine innings of work.
When you dive into the series between the Wildcats and Tigers, Memphis trails, 2-1, including losing the last two meetings which took place in 2017 at the FAU Owls Invitational.
Opponent number two of the day will be the Dayton Flyers. The Flyers entered the weekend only playing five games on the season. The first game of this weekend will be their first game since February 9th. The Flyers enter the I-75 challenge with a 4-1 record as their lone loss came to the Wofford Terrier in the Invitation named after the Wofford program.
Entering the weekend the Flyer had used the same starting nine in each contest. With this, this program is potent as they have six players hitting at a .300 clip or better. Leading the Flyers, in batting average, is Deirdre Flaherty with a .421 average. In the circle, the main arm has been Izzy Kemp who has a 1.29 ERA along with 20 strikeouts in her 16 innings of work entering the weekend.
In the Flyers’ Friday action, they split their action. In game one the Flyers defeated the Georgia State Panthers 6-1. In game two of the double dose of the Panthers, the Flyers fell, 5-3, to close day one of competition. With the loss, the Flyers are now 5-2 on the season as the Panthers enter day two.
Game one for Memphis, against Kentucky, is scheduled for an 11 am first pitch. Game two of the day, versus Dayton, is scheduled for a 5 pm first pitch. Both games will be played on the campus of Georgia Tech.
