March 22, 2009

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss rallied for three runs in its last at bat in the bottom of the ninth inning to claim a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the visiting Rice baseball team in the finale of a three-game Conference USA series Sunday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss. The Golden Eagles avoided a sweep in the weekend set after the Owls won each of the first two games of the series on Friday and Saturday.

Holding a narrow 4-2 advantage to start the bottom of the ninth, Southern Miss sent six men to the plate for a three-run rally. Josh Fields singled to center and the Golden Eagles eventually loaded the bases after one-out walks to Michael Ewing and Brian Dozier. Bo Davis hit a slow-roller to the left side that the Owls let get away into left field for an error. Two runs scored to tie the game with runners still on first and third. Joey Archer followed with a single to center for the game-winning hit.

Rice saw its four-game win streak come to an end to fall to 14-6 overall. The Owls are 2-1 in C-USA action. The Blue & Gray has won nine-straight C-USA series dating back to last season. Southern Miss improved to 13-9 on the season and 1-2 in the league.

Starting pitchers Taylor Wall (Rice) and Todd McInnis (USM) posted identical scoreless efforts for five innings before both teams struck for runs in the sixth. The Owls exploded for four runs on a pair of hits, a walk and a Southern Miss fielding error. Brock Holt singled and Chad Mozingo walked for a first-and-second situation with no outs. Diego Seastrunk attempted to move both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, but all the Owls were safe on the play. Freshman Anthony Rendon followed with a bases-load hit to left to score a pair of runs for a 2-0 lead. Again, the Blue & Gray had a first-and-second situation with no outs and this time Rick Hague attempted to advance the runners with a sacrifice bunt. This time the Golden Eagles threw wildly to first allowing Seastrunk and Rendon to score for a 4-0 advantage.

Southern Miss used to the longball to get two of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Bo Davis led off the frame with a solo home run to center field and Archer hit a round-tripper to left-center to make it a 4-2 game.

The Owls have wrapped-up the four-game road swing and next return home to Reckling Park for a long nine-game homestand beginning on Mar. 24. Rice hosts longtime foe Lamar on Tuesday at 6:30 pm. The game will be broadcast live around he world on the Internet at RiceOwls.com.