University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Baseball Falls to La. Monroe 4-1
2/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 26, 2008
Box Score: La. Monroe at Southern Miss 
HATTIESBURG, Miss - Southern Miss drops first game of the season in a 4-1 loss against Louisiana Monroe Tuesday evening at a cold Pete Taylor Park.
Temperatures hovered around 40 degrees with winds blowing around 20 miles per hour most of the evening. The 3,097 fans were not the only things cold, the Southern Miss bats never seemed to heat up, tallying only two hits in the game.
"I am real disappointed tonight and think the weather really affected us tonight," head coach Corky Palmer said. "I thought Monroe out worked us and we did not adjust to the weather conditions very well."
Monroe's (4-0) starting pitcher Drew Graham threw 7.1 innings allowing only two hits and one earned run, while striking out seven and walking four.
Golden Eagle (3-1) starting pitcher Brian Leach had a rough Southern Miss debut Tuesday night, working 3.1 innings allowing three hits and two earned runs, while walking four and striking out one. However, the Golden Eagle bullpen pitched very well. Seth Hester and Jonathan Johnston both made there first career appearances, Hester threw 3.1 innings allowing only three hits and two unearned runs while striking out one and Johnston threw 2.1 innings without allowing a hit and striking out two.
"I thought both Hester and Johnston did a real good job tonight, We got off to a slow start and did not throw strikes early but those two guys came in the game and did their jobs very well," Palmer added.
The Warhawks took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Jon Prevost doubled right over the third base bag and Kyle Squire drew a walk. Both runners advance on a Leach wild pitch and scored on a single up the middle by left fielder Dexter Fomtenet.
Louisiana Monroe added to their lead in the top of the seventh with a little help from the usually sure Southern Miss defense. Ben Soigneir reached base on a throwing error by third baseman Josh Fields and Kyle Suire followed with an infield single off the glove of first baseman Trey Sutton but and error on the flip to first base allowed both runners to advance.
Dexter Fontenot forced a third consecutive error on a ground ball to up the middle against a drawn-in Southern Miss infield. Shortstop Brian Dozier made a diving stop then over threw first base while still seated on the ground allowing Soigneir to score from third. AJ Siggers followed with a slow-rolling fielders-choice, giving Suire time to race home and give the Warhawks a 4-0 lead.
"Some of our better defensive players did not react very well to the weather conditions we were forced to play with tonight, I feel like we played a little timid in the cold weather," Palmer said.
Southern Miss finally manufactured a run in the bottom of the eight on three walks by Bo Davis, Brian Dozier and Kyle Maxie, loading the bases for Keith Winstead who was hit by the pitch forcing in Davis. Adam Doleac came in to pinch-hit for his first collegiate at bat but grounded out to third leaving the bases loaded and ending the Southern Miss threat.
Southern Miss had their chance again in the ninth as Michael Ewing and pinch-hitter Trey Cuevas reached base on walks and Brian Dozier was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two-outs All-American Trey Sutton was unable to deliver and ended the threat with a ground ball to the short stop.
Southern Miss will conclude the current five game homestand tomorrow evening against South Alabama, first pitch is set for 6:30 at "The Pete".
"A good South Alabama team is going to come in here tomorrow and they always play with a lot of emotion, we have to bounce back and get ready to play tomorrow," Palmer said.
-southernmiss.com-
