Baseball sweeps series against Memphis

After losing three straight games, the Southern Miss baseball team got back on track by sweeping a weekend series against Memphis over the weekend at Pete Taylor Park.

The series started Friday night as Andrew Pierce took the mound for the Golden Eagles. Pierce earned the win, going 8.1 innings and allowing just one run on nine hits. He recorded 10 strikeouts for the night. After loading the bases with one out on the ninth, Bradley Roney took over for Pierce. Roney recorded two strikeouts to end the game. It was Roney’s sixth save of the season.

Although the Eagles did not produce many hits on the night, they made them count in the fourth inning. After a lead off single by Isaac Rodriguez, Kameron Brunty produced an RBI triple. Ashley Graeter then knocked a single up the middle and scored Brunty. This would prove to be the game winning run.

Memphis starter Dan Langfield took the loss for the Tigers.

Game two also exhibited great pitching by Southern Miss, as Jake Drehoff and James McMahon combined to limit the Tigers to five hits and no runs.

Drehoff, who earned the win to move to 6-2 on the season, left the game with the bases loaded in the seventh inning before McMahon came on to strike out the next two batters. The Tigers would not get another base runner in the contest.

Sam Moll took the loss for the Tigers, allowing both runs on 11 hits.

Southern Miss scored two early runs in the second on a wild pitch and a single by Dillion Day. Travis Creel singled to start the inning before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chase Fowler. Joe Martin then singled to right, moving Creel to third. A wild pitch then scored Creel before Day knocked in Martin. Day, Creel and Martin all record multiple hits for the Eagles, who recorded 10-plus hits for the 17th time this season.

The win was the fourth shutout of the season for the Eagles.

Game three was again a low scoring contest, with the Eagles scoring two late runs to win 2-1.

Although he did not receive a decision in the game, freshman Mason Robbins pitched excellently in his first career start. Robbins went 5.2 innings while allowing just one run on five hits and three walks. He struck out two batters, as well.

Southern Miss used one run in the seventh and one run in the eighth inning to take the lead back from the Tigers. In the seventh, Day singled to left to start the inning off. After stealing second base, Day was sacrificed to third by a Joe Martin bunt. Kameron Brunty then used a deep fly ball to sacrifice the run in. Graeter then got on base to start the eighth. With the Tigers prepared for a sacrifice bunt, the first baseman was not covering the base when Memphis attempted a pick-off move. The throw would go down the line into right field, allowing Graeter to go to third. Rodriguez then produced the go ahead run with a single to left.

Although he faced just one batter, Erik Schoenrock took the loss for the Tigers.

Cameron Giannini earned the win for the Eagles, going 2.1 scoreless innings in relief for Robbins. Roney then worked through a shaky ninth inning to earn his seventh save of the season.

Brunty’s triple in game one was the 14th of his career, moving him to second on the all-time list at Southern Miss.

The next game for the Golden Eagles is today at 6:30 p.m. at Trustmark Park in Pearl.