University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
Houston
Baseball Opens Houston Series with 13-8 Victory
4/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 10, 2009
HOUSTON - Southern Miss jumped out to a 10-0 lead and held on to win 13-8 at the University of Houston Friday night in Conference USA action.
After having their last two contests end in on walk-off hits in the bottom of the ninth inning, Southern Miss did not chance anything tonight in Houston, sending 19 hitters to the plate while scoring 10 runs on 11 hits in the first two innings leading the black and gold to their eighth consecutive victory over the Cougars.
With tonight's win Southern Miss improves to 9-1 away from Pete Taylor Park, 21-11 overall and 7-3 in C-USA. Houston fell to 14-18 and 4-3 in league play.
"We swung the bats very well tonight but it got to be a crazy game late," head coach Corky Palmer said. "It was good to see Wade Weathers pitch the way he did tonight and that was a big key to us winning tonight."
Starting pitcher JR Ballinger worked the first four innings before hitting the wall about the 90 pitch mark. He allowed five runs on six hits while striking out six and walking four.
Wade Weathers picked up his second win of the season in relief working the longest outing in his career, five innings scattering five hits and allowing one run while striking out two.
Taylor Walker, Bo Davis and Kameron Brunty had two hits each before the end of the second inning, pacing the Golden Eagle offense to 15 hits on the evening, including seven for extra bases.
Walker reached base four times in the game and came around to score all four times while Dozier had a two-for-three game with a RBI and three runs scored.
Davis finished three-for-four with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored making the first three hitters in the lineup (Walker, Dozier and Davis) a combined 7-11 including five walks with eight runs and four RBI.
Travis Graves had two hits, including a rare triple for the catcher and Tyler Koelling added in two hits as well, including his first career home run.
Southern Miss wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning as Taylor Walker reached on an infield single and Brian Dozier drew a four pitch walk.
Bo Davis platted both runners with his first double and thirteenth extra base hit of the season down the left field line to put Southern Miss up 2-0 before Houston starting pitcher Frank Corolla had thrown 10 pitches.
The Golden Eagles continued the scoring in the top of second as Travis Graves singled through the left side before Tyler Koelling blasted is first career home run, a two-run shot over the right field wall.
The second inning rally continued as Taylor Walker picked up his second hit in as many innings and stole second base. Dozier delivered a RBI single to right field to score Walker and put Southern Miss up 5-0. Bo Davis singled through the left side to end the day for Corolla.
Kameron Brunty ripped his second triple of the season and picked up two RBI off new Cougar pitcher John Touchton. Archer drew a walk to extend the inning and Corey Stevens picked up two-RBI with a solid single up the middle to plate Brunty and Archer.
The third pitcher of the inning for Houston, Barry Laird, hit Graves with a pitch in second at bat of the inning and Tyler Koelling picked up his third RBI of the inning with a RBI single to left field capping the eight run, eight hit second inning for the black and gold.
Houston cut the Southern Miss lead in half scoring five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Matt Murphy singled with the bases loaded and Jake Runty picked up and RBI on a fielders choice. Two batters later Zac Presley added a two-RBI single to make the score 10-5.
The Golden Eagles answered with two runs in the top of the fifth on back-to-back sacrifice flies by James Ewing and Kameron Brunty to make the score 12-5.
Cody Schlagel entered the game in relief of Ballinger to begin the bottom of the fifth inning and threw 12 pitches, all balls to walk the bases loaded before being removed for Wade Weathers, who allowed two of the runs to score on a ground-ball double play and an infield single making the score 12-7 after five innings.
Houston continued to cut into the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Jake Runte ripped a RBI double down the left field line to put the Cougars within four runs, but that would be as close as they would get.
Southern Miss added their final run in the top of the ninth as Taylor Walker reached base for the fourth time in the game by drawing a base on balls. He came around to score on Bo Davis' RBI double, his second of the game to make the score 13-8.
Southern Miss will be forced to play their third double header of the season on Saturday as the weather forecast in Houston for Sunday has obligated the Houston athletic department to move Sunday's game up to a DH on Saturday.
First pitch for game one has been scheduled for 3:00 p.m., but could be moved up if the anticipated storms arrive early. The second game will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
-southernmiss.com-
