No. 12 USM Edges No. 4 Pirates, 6-5
May 21, 2004 | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? Southern Miss' Matt Shepherd drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to score the winning run as the No. 12 Golden Eagles edged out No. 4 East Carolina, 6-5, Friday night at Pete Taylor Park. Ryan Jones and Trevor Lawhorn each had two hits for the Pirates (46-9, 24-5 C-USA) who dropped only their fifth Conference USA game.
Anthony DeWitt (10-2) earned his 10th win of the season striking out eight through seven innings allowing five earned runs on six hits for Southern Miss. Austin Tubb recorded his 10th save. Carter Harrell (5-2) was saddled with the loss lasting 2/3 of an inning. He allowed one run while walking four. Brody Taylor started the game for the Pirates and pitched 3 2/3 innings allowing two earned runs on nine hits.
Jarrett Hoffpauir led the USM offense going 3-for-4 with three RBI as the Eagles out-hit ECU, 13-8. Shepherd, Marc Maddox and Ryan Frith each added two hits.
East Carolina ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh. Dustin Sasser warmed up on the mound to start off the seventh, but he had to leave the game. Carter Harrell came in off the bench. He walked Frith then got Carlos Velasquez to ground into a fielder's choice. Jason Lowery walked and Velasquez moved to third on a wild pitch giving the Golden Eagles runners on the corner. Harrell struck out Nathan Sanders for the second out of the inning. Beau Griffin drew the third walk of the inning loading the bases before Shepherd drew a walk to score the winning run.
The Golden Eagles capitalized on two errors in the bottom of the sixth to score three runs tying the game, 5-5. Jody Blount led off the inning with a single. After the Pirates recorded their first out of the inning, Marc Maddox looked to have hit into an inning ending double play when Kevin Rhodes fielded a ground ball at the mound. His throw sailed over Billy Richardson into center field scoring a run pulling Southern Miss within, 5-3. Hoffpauir singled into two more runs tying the game, 5-5.
Southern Miss pushed across the first run in the bottom of the first. Jarrett Hoffpauir and Brad Wilcutt hit back-to-back singles with two outs. Ryan Frith's RBI single scored Hoffpauir putting the Golden Eagles ahead, 1-0.
The Piartes took their first lead in the top of the third. After Ryan Jones walked and Ryan Norwood reached on a fielder's choice, Drew Costanzo hit his fifth home run of the season as ECU went ahead, 3-1.
Hoffpauir's drove in the Golden Eagles' second run in the bottom of the third when Matt Shepherd came across to score making it, 3-2. Taylor pitched out of a bases loaded jam to end the ining.
Ryan Jones singled through the right side to lead off the top of the fifth. Norwood's 26th double of the season brought in Jones extending East Carolina's lead to 4-2.
Trevor Lawhorn's 21st home run of the season gave the Pirates a 5-2 advantage in the top of the sixth.
Rhodes relieved Taylor in the fourth and tossed 2 1/3 innings allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out two.
East Carolina will play the rubber game of the series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. (EST). Freshman right-hander Shane Mathews will start for the Pirates.
