Southern Miss
Texas
Baseball Drops a Heartbreaker in the World Series Opener
6/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 14, 2009
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• College World Series Central
OMAHA - Playing in the school's first College World Series Game it was three walks and a hit batsman in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed Texas to score the winning run and survive a wild game against Southern Miss Sunday night at Rosenblatt Stadium.
The 7-6 loss forced Southern Miss into the elimination bracket to face North Carolina at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
Southern Miss reliever Jonathan Johnston walked Brandon Loy on four pitches with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to give Texas a 7-6 win. The Longhorns' final three runs scored on bases-loaded walks. Of Texas' last 11 batters, six walked and one was hit by a pitch.
The Golden Eagles used an infield single, a wild pitch, a bases-loaded walk and the first catcher's interference call at the CWS since 1981 to take a 5-4 lead in the eighth.
Texas loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half against Scott Copeland and Collin Cargill, with Cargill walking Brandon Loy to bring in the tying run. Josh Fields came on to strike out Cameron Rupp, but then walked pinch hitter Kevin Lusson to make it 6-5.
Southern Miss tied it the top of the ninth on James Ewing's single off Taylor Jungmann (9-3).
Johnston, the fifth Southern Miss pitcher, relieved Fields (2-1) with one out in the bottom half. The side-arming Johnston struck out Tant Shepherd, but then he threw only one strike on his final eight pitches.
Southern Miss rallied for three runs against star closer Austin Wood in a crazy eighth.
Texas entered up 4-2 after Russell Moldenhauer hit his first home run of the season to break a sixth-inning tie.
Wood came on after starter Cole Green gave up a leadoff double to pinch hitter Adam Doleac. Nick Smith, who ran for Doleac, scored on a wild pitch after Taylor Walker's infield single. Wood walked James Ewing, and pinch hitter Brian Dozier reached on catcher's interference to load the bases.
Wood missed outside on a full count to Corey Stevens to force in the tying run. The Eagles went ahead when Joey Archer grounded to third and Michael Torres bounced his throw home. Catcher Cameron Rupp couldn't hold on to the ball as James Ewing slid in safely.
Southern Miss returns to action on Tuesday vs. North Carolina at 1:00 p.m. The game will be carried live on ESPN2 in high definition.
