Southern Miss
New Orleans
McInnis Pitches Brilliant and Southern Miss Defeats UNO, 9-4
3/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 12, 2008
NEW ORLEANS - Southern Miss pounded out a season high 13 hits and scored nine runs, which was plenty for starting pitcher Todd McInnis who picked up his third win of the season at Maestri Field in New Orleans.
"We got back to Southern Miss baseball tonight," head coach Corky Palmer said. "I am real proud of the way we swung the bats and McInnis threw outstanding tonight. It was a good road win for us tonight."
McInnis (3-1) threw seven innings, allowing only seven hits and one run while striking out nine and walking only two.
The Golden Eagles faced six different University of New Orleans pitchers, after chasing starting pitcher Jim McGonigle after surrendering four runs in one and two-thirds innings.
The Southern Miss offense was led by Josh Field three-for-five night with a three-run homerun and a double and Kyle Maxie who collected three hits and three RBI.
Trey Sutton added extra base hits, a double and a triple along with Keith Winstead who was two-for-four with double, his Conference USA leading ninth of the season. Michael Ewing and Brian Dozier both scored a pair of runs as well.
Southern Miss wasted no time getting McInnis runs to work with, scoring three in the top of the first inning. James Ewing hit leadoff for the first time this season and drew a five pitch walk. Brian Dozier followed with an RBI double off the wall in left-center field to score Ewing from first.
Trey Sutton was hit by a McGonigle pitch and Kyle Maxie followed with a single through the right side to load the bases. McGonigle hit Keith Winstead with the first pitch of the at bat for Winstead's ninth RBI of the season. Sutton came in to score the third run of the inning on a ground-ball double-play bit by Drew Carson.
The Golden Eagles added two more runs with two outs in the top of the second, with a little help from the UNO defense. James Ewing drew his second walk in as many innings and Brian Dozier reached first on an throwing error by UNO third baseman TJ Baxter.
Sutton drew a two-out walk to load the bases and Maxie delivered his second hit of the game, a single to right field scoring Ewing and Dozier for a 5-0 lead.
UNO scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the third on a truly bizarre double-play. With UNO runners at first and third and one out Johnny Giavotella hit a line drive to right field that Michael Ewing made a diving catch, however the runners on base thought that the ball was dropped and continued to round the bases.
The ball was ruled a catch and Ewing fired to first base to double up TJ Baxter, but after an umpire meeting it was rules that the run scored by Nick Schwarner would count even after the force out double-play.
Josh Fields put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh inning with a two-out three-run homerun over the scoreboard in left-center field. Winstead, who singled earlier in the inning, and Sutton, who drew a walk, both scored on the Fields homerun, making the score 8-1.
UNO added their three runs in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Joey Butler and a two RBI single by Josh Vander Hey, making the score 8-4.
Southern Miss added their final run of the game in the top of the ninth as Bo Davis scored on a bases loaded wild-pitch, making the score 9-4.
The Golden Eagles will return to action this weekend as they host the annual Coca-Cola Classic with visiting teams Cal St Northridge and Liberty University.
-southernmiss.com-
