University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Eagles Earn Baseball Split With Indians
3/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Eagles Earn Baseball Split With Indians
Monroe, La. - Southern Miss put four runs on the scoreboard in the first two innings and junior right-hander Bob McCrory threw his best game of the season as the Golden Eagles beat Louisiana-Monroe 6-2, here Wednesday afternoon to gain a split with the Indians in the two-game, midweek series.
Louisiana-Monroe won the Tuesday night game, 8-1.
McCrory, and reliever Ray Antonelli, limited the Indians to eight hits, including only four by McCrory, who threw a solid five innings, struck out five and walked three while running his record to 2-0. Michael Durham threw only an inning and a third and was charged with the loss as he dropped to 0-1. Antonelli earned his third save of the season for the Eagles.
Head Coach Corky Palmer cited strong defense and McCrory's efforts on the mound as major factors in the game. "(Bob) McCrory pitched the best he has all year and we played outstanding defense," Palmer said. "We didn't swing the bats quite as well as we need to, but we made defensive plays late in the game and had good pitching. Winning on the road is always tough, and this was a good one for us, especially after we lost the first game."
In addition to the solid pitching, left-fielder Jeff Cook's diving catch of a sinking line drive in the eighth inning, with runners on second and third, saved at least two runs, after the Indians had gotten on the scoreboard for the first time, in the sixth inning, with a pair of runs to cut the Southern Miss margin to 5-2.
The Golden Eagles jumped ahead early, with a single run in the top of the first and two more in the top of the second. A run in the fifth inning extended that lead to 5-0, and Palmer's team added an insurance run in the top of the ninth.
Southern Miss picked up 10 hits, including three by Jarrett Hoffpauir, who included his first home run of the season in his total. Brad Willcutt also homered and both Clint King and Griff Israel had two hits each.
Durham, the first of five Indian pitchers, took the loss, and Jerad Doty led Louisiana-Monroe with two of the Indians' eight hits.
The Eagles continue play this weekend when Southeast Missouri State visits for three games, the first starting at 6:30 p.m., Friday night.
