USM win series opener 11-3 over Louisiana on Friday Night

HATTIESBURG, Miss.( VDN)– No. 21 Southern Miss spread out its offensive attack with six different players getting multiple hits and the Golden Eagles scored 10 unanswered runs to defeat Louisiana 11-3 Friday night in a Sun Belt Conference series opener at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.

The Golden Eagles (36-13 overall, 19-6 Sun Belt) won for the 10th-straight time as they banged out 15 hits – the 28th time that they recorded 10 or more hits in a game this season. The team improved to 24-4 when they record at least 10 hits in a game.

Both Joey Urban and Ozzie Pratt led the way with three hits, while Jake Cook, Nick Monistere, Carson Paetow, and Tucker Stockman added two apiece. That offense propelled Southern Miss to score in six different innings.

After JB Middleton gave up three runs to the Ragin’ Cajuns (25-25, 15-10) in the second inning to take a 3-1 lead, the Golden Eagle starter did not allow a hit for the remainder of his outing. Middleton improved to 9-1 with the win, giving up all three runs on three hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts. The junior right-hander, who was named a finalist for the Ferriss Trophy earlier this week, fanned five of his final six batters he faced.

The Golden Eagles got on the board first with a solo run in the opening frame courtesy of a Paetow run-scoring single.

After UL scored its runs in the second to make the score 3-1, Ozzie Pratt homered for the seventh time this season, a two-run shot to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning, before the Golden Eagles took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth. Monistere opened that scoring frame with a two-run single, before Matthew Russo added an RBI fielder’s choice.

A leadoff homer by Urban, his third, to open the fifth made the score 7-3 before the home squad added two more runs a frame later via RBI singles from Ben Higdon and Stockman.

Southern Miss finished its scoring with two more runs coming in the eighth on an RBI double from Urban and a run-scoring single from Stockman.

Andrew Herrmann, the first of five Cajun hurlers, suffered the loss to fall to 3-4 after allowing six runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts over three-plus innings.

Southern Miss homered in its 17th-straight game, while collecting its 24th multiple home run contest.

The two teams continue their series Saturday with a 3 p.m. contest