University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
UCF
Baseball's Comeback Attempt Falls Short vs. UCF
4/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 10, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss fell behind 10-3 and rallied to force extra innings but fell 11-10 in game two of the series with Central Florida Saturday afternoon in front of 4,109 fans at Pete Taylor Park.
"We are having trouble finishing games," head coach Scott Berry said. "We had our opportunities but we do not compete as a team. Right now we are not focusing as a team. We were down and scratched back to tie it but could not finish the game off."
With UCF leading 10-3, Southern Miss mounted a rally with a seven run eighth inning to tie the game at 10 headed into the ninth inning. The eight inning rally consisted of a hit batter, six walks, a double, a single, two RBI-groundouts and a wild pitch to account for the seven Southern Miss runs.
UCF (21-12, 4-4 C-USA) eventually won the game in the tenth inning with a two-out RBI single by Chris Taladay off Southern Miss closer Collin Cargill.
Taylor Walker was three-for-four with a RBI and two runs scored to lead the Southern Miss offense once again while freshman Dillon Day had two doubles and a walk in his three plate appearances.
Senior Scott Copeland made his return to the mound for the first time in over three weeks, lasting only 2.1 innings while allowing six runs, only four of which were earned, on five hits.
Central Florida opened the top of the first with three runs, two of which was unearned. Copeland hit two batters, both of which came around to score after a pass ball and a RBI single by Ryan Breen. The next hitter, Chris Taladay hit a ground ball the B.A. Vollmuth could not handle to allow the third run to score.
UCF added three more runs in the top of the third on a Chase Fowler passed ball and a RBI double by Breen that ended the day for Copeland. Paton King entered the game and surrendered a RBI single to Jonathan Griffin.
Southern Miss cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth on a B.A Vollmuth ground ball the UCF's Darnell Sweeney misplayed after Taylor Walker singled and Adam Doleac doubled to start the inning. The threat for a big inning was minimized as Southern Miss left the bases loaded in the frame.
UCF scored two runs in the top of the fifth on four consecutive two-out singles off King.
Southern Miss scored for the second consecutive inning as Chase Fowler was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a RBI double by Vollmuth.
Central Florida scored a single run in the top of the sixth as Sweeny doubled and on his attempt to steal third Fowler's throw said into left field, allowing him to scamper home for an unearned run.
Southern Miss added a single run in the bottom of the seventh as Fowler was hit by another pitch and came around to score on a Doleac single to make the score 9-3.
UCF scored their tenth run in the top of the eighth on a Beau Taylor RBI single putting the Knight up by seven.
The eighth inning is where Southern Miss made a game of it. Mark Ellis and Joey Archer drew walks to start the frame and Dillon Day hit his first double of the game down the left field line to plate Ellis. Fowler followed with a single up the middle to score Archer. Kameron Brunty drew a walk to load the bases and Taylor Walked drew a base on ball to force home Day.
With the bases still loaded Doleac and Vollmuth both picked up RBI on groundouts. The rally continued as Justin Diliberto was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners and Mark Ellis singled up the middle to cut the UCF lead to 10-9.
Joey Archer drew a walk to reload the bases in his second at bat of the inning before UCF's Matt Manning uncorked wild pitch and Diliberto broke from third to score the tying run but the ball caromed right back to the catcher who flipped to Manning covering the plate beating Diliberto by several feet but he stepped over the tag to touch home and tie the game at 10.
Southern Miss left bases loaded in the eight and ninth without scoring another run and wasted a double by Day in the tenth.
The two teams will meet for the final game of the series Sunday morning, first pitch is set for 11:00 a.m.
-southenrmiss.com-
