Golden Eagles sweep Missouri at home

GAME 1

The Southern Miss starting pitching staff was expected to be strong. Senior right-hander Andrew Pierce definitely fit that bill in the 5-2 opening day win against Missouri.

Pierce struck out nine and walked one in seven innings of work on Friday, giving up only one earned run on six hits.

The Golden Eagles opened the scoring in the first inning when Isaac Rodriguez drove in Connor Barron with a two-out single to right field. Missouri tied the game at one in the third on an infield single by Kaeton Steele.

The game was knotted at one until the Golden Eagles struck twice in the bottom of the sixth. Missouri starter Rob Zastryzny, who took the loss for the Tigers, issued back-to-back walks to start the inning before Tim Lynch moved runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, setting up Chase Fowler’s two run single.

Southern Miss stretched the lead one inning later when Blake Brown led off with a single, followed by two Tiger errors, loading the bases. A Lynch RBI ground out scored Brown, and a Fowler sac fly scoring Rodriguez, making the score 5-1.

Junior right-hander Sean Buchholtz came on in relief of Pierce in the eighth, yielding a single run on three hits in two innings of work.

GAME 2

Southern Miss won game two of their opening weekend series against Missouri, with a 5-3 come-from-behind victory.

Down 3-2 headed into the seventh inning, Mason Robbins connected on a two out three-run homer after a Chase Fowler hit-by-pitch, a fielder’s choice and a Travis Creel walk.

Missouri plated three runs, only one earned off Southern Miss starter Jake Drehoff in his 5 1/3 innings of work.

The Golden Eagles got on the board in the fifth with an RBI single, and Tim Lynch plated the other run with a sacrifice fly.

Cameron Giannini earned the win in relief, pitching two scoreless innings, striking out five. Bradley Roney came on in the ninth to earn his first save of the season striking out two of the three batters he faced.

Ryan Yuengal took the loss for the Tigers, allowing three runs in two innings of relief work on one hit.

Robbins had two hits and three RBIs for Southern Miss, with Fowler adding two hits of his own.

GAME 3

Mason Robbins, a day after hitting a go-ahead home run, hit a game-tying double and scored the go-ahead run in a six-run eighth inning rally in route to a 6-1

Golden Eagle win against the Missouri Tigers on Sunday afternoon. 

“We are already seeing benefits from the one year of experience gained last season in guys like Mason Robbins,” said head baseball coach Scott Berry. “Mason is just Mr. Steady.”

After five innings of scoreless baseball, Missouri leadoff man, Sal Belfonte, led off the top of the sixth inning with a double in the left-center field gap. Belfonte moved to third on a sacrifice fly to center field, and later scored on a RBI fielder’s choice by Dane Opel.

Neither team’s starting pitcher figured into the decision, with Mason Robbins giving up one earned run on two hits in six innings, striking out two. While Missouri starter Jace James threw five innings of three-hit, shutout baseball.

Jay Myrick came on in relief in the seventh, earning the win, allowing one hit and no runs in three innings of work.

Isaac Rodriguez and Mason Robbins began the Eagle rally with back-to-back doubles to start the inning. Brown, hitting in the cleanup spot, laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Robbins to third. After back-to-back walks, Rousell then singled up the middle, scoring Robbins from third.

“I knew they had to give me something good to hit with the bases loaded and nowhere to put me so I was just waiting on that pitch,” sophomore catcher Austin Roussel said. “It is definitely not as nerve racking this season after getting my feet wet last season.”

Andrew Furr followed with a bases loaded single scoring Barron and Roney with two outs. Roussel scored on a fielder’s choice and error by Dillon Day, stretching the lead to 5-1. Rodriguez capped the six-run rally with a RBI single to right field, scoring Furr.

“I think we played very well, playing to win every game,” Berry said. “I was happy with the way we were able to compete on defensive sides of the baseball, really controlling the game from the mound.”

Austin Roussel had three hits and the RBI to lead the Eagles at the plate. Rodriguez and Furr each added two hits at the dish.

Southern Miss (3-0), travels to Tuscaloosa today to play Alabama (3-0), with the first pitch set to be thrown at 6:05 p.m. central time. True freshman Jake Winston will get the nod for the Golden Eagles.