University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Baseball Wins Season-Opener 11-2 Over Marshall
2/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Box Score
Baseball Wins Season-Opener 11-2 Over Marshall
HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? Southern Miss' Brad Willcutt and Beau Griffin each finished with three hits and Patrick Ezell pitched seven innings, giving up one run on seven hits, to lead the Golden Eagles to an 11-2 season-opening win in front of a home-opening record crowd of 2,901, today at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
The attendance of 2,901 broke last year's season-opening record setting crowd of 2,468 set against Northwestern (La.) State on Feb. 20, 2004.
Ezell (1-0) gave up one walk, struck out three and forced two double plays. John Nicholas pitched the final two innings, giving up one run on two hits and walked two. Marshall Chris Cummings (0-1) pitched 5.2 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits, walking five and striking out two. Mike Marchyshyn pitched 0.1 innings, giving up three runs on four hits and walked two and Bryson Meyers finished the game, pitching the final two innings, giving up one run on one hit, walked one and struck out one.
Jason Lowery and Marc Maddox each finished with two hits and Maddox and Griffin each drove in three runs. Jody Blount was walked three times, scored two runs and made two assists from the outfield.
Southern Miss took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. Willcutt singled to drive in Sutton, and Jacob Fowler walked with the bases loaded to bring home Lowery, who reached on a single to left. Griffin singled to left field, driving in Blount, who reached on a walk, and Willcutt to push the Golden Eagle lead to four runs.
The Golden Eagles added a single run in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth inning to take an 8-0 lead. Maddox hit the only home run of the game in the fifth inning, pushing the lead to 5-0. In the sixth inning, Maddox hit a two-out double down the left field line to drive in Sutton, who walked and Lowery, who singled up the middle. Willcutt singled to center field, driving in Maddox.
The Herd's Rich Russell doubled to right center to lead off the seventh inning, advanced to third on a fielding error by Trey Sutton and then scored on Sutton second error of the game to give Marshall a run. Bubba Pfaff hit a ground out to first to drive in Adam Frederick with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to account for the Herd's second run.
Blount walked with one out in the eighth inning, advanced to second on Cuevas' pinch hit ground out to first and then scored when Griffin singled past third base.
The Golden Eagles and Herd play the second game of the three-game series on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
