University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
Tennessee Tech
Baseball Splits Double Header with Tennessee Tech
5/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 15, 2009
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -
The Southern Miss baseball team is no stranger to double headers, playing their sixth of the season today against Tennessee Tech.
Game one started with a 78 minute rain delay before the skies cleared enough to allow the teams to face off.
Southern Miss took game one behind 10 hits and 10 runs for a 10-2 victory. In game two the black and gold had no answer for TTU starter Ryan Dennick who limited the Golden Eagles to one run and one hit in a 7-1 victory.
"We hit the ball well in the first game, but could not get in going in game two, and a lot of that is because of Dennick who threw the ball pretty well tonight," head coach Corky Palmer said. "This is the point in the season where it is a real grind and we looked like a tired team tonight."
GAME ONE RECAP
Southern Miss 10, Tennessee Tech 2
Southern Miss pounded out 10 hits and scored 10 runs to cruise to a 10-2 victory in game one of the series.
The game took over an hour and 18 minutes to get started because of heavy rain in the Hattiesburg area, but once it did Southern Miss took control early with a run in the second inning and five runs in the third inning.
BA Vollmuth and Corey Stevens both had two hits a piece and James Ewing, Joey Archer and Michael Ewing each drove in a pair of runs to pace the offense.
Southern Miss opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning as Joey Archer ripped a RBI double to right-center field to plate Kameron Brunty, who started the inning with a lead off walk.
Archer picked up his second RBI in as many innings in the bottom of the third as his bases loaded ground out forced home Taylor Walker. The rally continued as Michael Ewing followed with a two RBI single through the right side to put Southern Miss up 4-0.
James Ewing came to the plate as the ninth batter in the frame and delivered a bases loaded, two RBI single to cap the five run inning.
Tennessee Tech cracked the scoreboard in the top of the fourth on a RBI ground out by Casanova Donaldson and a RBI double by Evan Webb to make the score 6-2.
JR Ballinger had an effective outing, throwing only 48 pitches in 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out three. He was scheduled to only throw about 50 pitches as a tune up for the Conference USA tournament next week.
Bo Davis manufactured a run in the bottom of the fourth as he reached on a walk, stole both second and third base before scoring on Corey Stevens RBI ground out to make the score 7-2.
The black and gold struck for three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning with some help from the Tech defense. Southern Miss loaded the bases with one-out and TTU catcher Michael Alcorn attempted to pick Vollmuth at third but threw the ball into left field allowing a run to score.
Bo Davis followed with a single of the Tech pitcher to plate another run, then purposely got caught in a run down to allow Walker to score from third making the score 10-2.
Cody Schlagel picked up the win (5-1) working 3.2 scoreless innings without allowing a hit and striking out three.
GAME TWO RECAP
Tennessee Tech 7, Southern Miss 1
The Southern Miss bats cooled off in game two against Tenn Tech's Ryan Dennick, with the Golden Eagles getting only one hit, a Tyler Koelling single up the middle in the fifth inning.
Southern Miss did chip away a run in the seventh and final inning on four consecutive walks, with Archer drawing the bases loaded free pass to put Southern miss on the board.
Tennessee Tech opened the scoring in the top of the third inning, scoring three runs on two hits and also using two Golden Eagle outfield errors, the inning was keyed by an Evan Webb sacrifice fly and a Cory Wright RBI single.
UTT added two more runs a two-run home run AJ Kirby-Jones in the top of the fifth, the first batter that Jonathan Johnston faced after entering the game in relief of Munoz.
Kirby-Jones added another RBI with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to make the score 6-0.
The 2009 Conference USA baseball tournament will be held at Pete Taylor Park beginning on May 20. Tournament ticket booklets are now available through the Pat Ferlise Athletic Ticket Office on West 4th St., from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, over the phone at 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or online at Southernmiss.com
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