Golden Eagles avoid sweep with 2-1 win

The Golden Eagle baseball team broke a five-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over No. 30 ranked University of Central Arkansas on Sunday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park.

Southern Miss starting pitcher Conor Fisk set the tone with five innings of three hit baseball, giving up a single run, striking out five in his first victory of the season. He gave way to the bullpen, which allowed only a single hit in four innings of work.

Bradley Roney shut down UCA for his second save of the season, striking out three, and tossing two innings of hitless ball. Jay Myrick and Cody Livingston combined to throw the other two innings, giving up only a single hit.

The Golden Eagles plated both of their runs in the bottom of the fourth off UCA starter Bryce Biggerstaff, who suffered his first loss of the season. A Jared Bales walk and Blake Brown hit by pitch, followed by Isaac Rodriguez and Austin Roussel singles accounted for the runs.

Southern Miss (8-11) take on Auburn Wednesday at Hand Aaron Stadium in Mobile, AL before starting conference play next weekend against nationally ranked Rice.

Game 2

Central Arkansas clinched the series by scoring eight runs in the first inning in route to a 14-3 blowout win over Southern Miss on Saturday at Pete Taylor Park.

Golden Eagle pitching gave up 13 hits, 12 walks, and hit three batters in the game.

Southern Miss starting pitcher Jake Drehoff (0-3) suffered the loss, allowing six earned runs on three hits and two walks in only 1/3 of an inning pitched.

Jonathan Davis led UCA with four hits and two runs batted in at the plate. The Bears built the lead up to 11 runs before the Golden Eagles got on the scoreboard with a two-run pinch hit single by Michael Sterling in the seventh. Jared Bales, in his first game since March 4of last season, hit a solo homerun in the eighth to wrap up the scoring.

UCA improved to 17-2 on the season, a week after handing Mississippi State their first two losses of the season.

Game 1

The Golden Eagles losing streak stretched to four games in a 3-1 series-opening loss at the hands of No. 30 ranked University of Central Arkansas.

UCA starting pitcher Caleb McClanahan outdueled Southern Miss starter Andrew Pierce, throwing a complete game, giving up only one earned run to improve to 4-0 on the season.

Pierce (4-1) struck out eight batters, giving up only two earned runs on four hits in seven innings of work. This was the first game the Golden Eagles had lost with Pierce on the mound all season.

Austin Roussel’s hit his first career homer in the bottom of the eighth, providing the only scoring for the Golden Eagles.

The Golden Eagles threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Tim Lynch singled with two outs bringing Blake Brown to the plate. Brown hit a driving fly ball to left field that came inches short of a game tying home run, the out ended the game and his 10-game hitting streak.