East Carolina University
Southern Miss
ECU Drops Opening Game To USM 14-4
May 07, 2010 | Baseball
May 7, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Third baseman Joey Archer drove in four runs and Scott Copeland struck out seven as Southern Miss took the opener of a three-game Conference USA series Friday night at Pete Taylor Park 14-4. With the win the Golden Eagles improve to 26-17 overall and 9-7 in league play, while the Pirates drop to 27-19 and 8-8.
Archer, who was 2-for-4 on the night, led a quartet of USM hitters with four RBI and was one of six players with multiple hits. Mark Ellis and ECU's John Wooten each had a game-high three hits.
Scott Copeland improved to 7-0 on the season allowing nine hits over seven innings while surrendering four runs (all earned). Reliever Collin Cargill scattered one hit over two frames in his 23rd appearance of the year.
ECU starter Zach Woods dropped to 6-3 after being touched for five runs (all earned) on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Pirate bullpen didn't fare any better allowing nine runs (six earned) on nine hits all in the final two innings of the contest.
Four consecutive two-out hits including a three-run home run by Archer gave Southern Miss an early 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first as the Golden Eagles never looked back. B.A. Vollmuth drew a two-out walk then moved to third on Adam Doleac's single through the left side and trotted home on Ellis' single to left. Dillon Day followed with an RBI single that plated Doleac and Archer cleared the bases on a shot to left center that hit off the top of the scoreboard.
Wooten's two-out double in the top of the third scored Corey Thompson and Kyle Roller pulling the Pirates within one, 5-4. Devin Harris singled through the left side and took third on Cam Freeman's double down the left field line. Trent Whitehead pushed Harris across on a ground out to second before Thompson singled home Freeman with a single back up the middle. Roller followed with a single through the right side and Wooten cleared the bases with a shot to right center.
Copeland stifled a potential Pirate rally in the sixth when he struck out the side with a pair of runners in scoring position. Roller drew the first of his two free passes then took third on Wooten's second two-bagger of the night before Copeland fanned Jared Avchen, Zach Wright and Philip Clark.
The Golden Eagles blew the game wide open in the seventh plating four runs on five hits to take a commanding 9-4 lead. Doleac's bases loaded single to right center scored Kameron Brunty and Taylor Walker, while Day and Archer each added RBI base knocks in the stanza.
Brunty's solo homer to right field in the eighth was part of a five-run eighth that capped the scoring at 14-4. Walker scored on a wild pitch, Ellis singled home Vollmuth before ECU made a pitching change. Day reached on a fielder's choice that scored Anthony Doss and pinch hitter Marc Bourgeois' sac fly to center plated Ellis.
The two teams will be back on the diamond Saturday when a pair of 2009 first-team All C-USA hurlers take the mound (Todd McInnis/USM and Seth Maness/ECU) with a 5 p.m. (EDT) first pitch scheduled.
