University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
Eastern Illinois
McInnis Throws Eight Shutout Innings in Season-Opening Victory
2/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2011
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Todd McInnis complimented the perfect opening-day weather by throwing eight shutout innings in leading Southern Miss to a 6-2 baseball victory over Eastern Illinois here Friday afternoon in front of 3,665 at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
With the sunny weather at 76 degrees at game time, the Golden Eagles (1-0) used their offensive small ball game as they put down six bunts in the contest to take advantage of EIU and McInnis limited the Panthers to five hits over eight innings and fanned seven without allowing a walk.
"I was real proud the way we handled the bat in the small game and I think that is going to be key for us and most teams around the country this season," said Southern Miss coach Scott Berry. "(That is true_ especially with Todd McInnis on the mound. He has the ability to shut you out and we saw that tonight."
Kameron Brunty led the Golden Eagles with three hits and B.A. Vollmuth added two hits, including a single in the opening frame which extended his team-best hitting streak to 21 games dating back to last season.
The Golden Eagles collected a pair of tallies in the second inning and the runs came courtesy of the small part of the team's game.
After a leadoff double by Mark Bourgeois, Chase Fowler put down a bunt that was thrown wide of first by EIU pitcher Mike Hoekstra (0-1) which allowed the first run to score. After another sacrifice bunt by Dillon Day, Fowler scored on a wild pitch. Bourgeois made the score 3-0 in the third on a sacrifice fly in the third and Vollmuth drove in his first run of the year with a run-scoring single in the fourth.
The Golden Eagles complete their scoring with two more runs in the seventh. After back-to-back singles by Mark Ellis and Adam Doleac and a fielder's choice, Fowler drove in both runs with a single to left.
Southern Miss tagged Hoekstra for four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts over four innings to suffer the loss. For McInnis, it was his third consecutive opening-day victory.
The Panthers rallied for two runs in the ninth off of Golden Eagle relieve Jonathan Thompson as Mark Borenstein drove home a run with a single to finish a three-hit contest and Jake Samuels added a RBI double.
The two teams continue their series with a 1 p.m., game Saturday. The game will be available through All-Access on SouthernMiss.com and aired on 96.5, WXHB-FM in Hattiesburg.
