Tulane University
Southern Miss
Tulane Loses Heartbreaker to Golden Eagles, 9-7
May 2, 2009 | Baseball
May 2, 2009
HATTIESBURG, MISS.- The Green Wave baseball club dropped game two to USM, 9-7, Saturday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg. Tulane enjoyed a five-run lead through six but couldn't overcome the rally of the Golden Eagles in the late innings as the club falls to 27-20 and 8-9 in Conference USA.
Josh Prince got Tulane going early, taking a 2-0 pitch from Southern Miss starter Seth Hester over the left field wall and just like that, Zeid was working with a 1-0 lead not having thrown a pitch. The righty came in, and threw an efficient inning, retiring the side in order, getting the Green Wave back in the dugout where they went back to banging. Seth Henry led off with a double off the right-center field wall. He moved to third on a Steve Moritz fly ball to right and was later plated on a ground ball up the middle off the bat of Evan Mistich that was deflected by Hester's glove, putting Tulane up 2-0.
The Golden Eagles tried to get something going in their half of the second when Kameron Brunty reached after a pitch grazed his jersey. Joey Archer followed with a walk but the Wave picked up an out on the sacrifice bunt from Corey Stevens. With runners at second and third, Zeid's defense picked him up, with third baseman Matt Ryan making the nice back-handed stab to rob B.A. Vollmuth of a base hit down the line. Ryan recovered, set his feet and threw out Vollmuth for the second out. Left fielder Mistich retired Kyle Maxie when he raced into foul territory and nabbed the fly ball at the wall to end the inning without Southern Miss getting on the board.
Scott Powell opened up the third inning with a lead-off double and was moved to third on a fly ball off the bat of Sam Honeck. The Golden Eagles tapped into their bullpen, bringing in righty Kyle Lindsey to replace Hester and face Jeremy Schaffer. The moved paid off as Schaffer was retired but Henry stayed hot, picking up his fourth double of the weekend, driving the ball off the left field wall, scoring Powell and extending Tulane's lead, 3-0. Moritz stepped in and dropped one into shallow left field that scored Henry and Tulane led 4-0 in the middle of the third.
The Golden Eagles threatened in the bottom of the fifth, when Stevens opened the Southern Miss half of the inning reaching base after being hit by a pitch. Vollmuth registered the single when he hit bullet at Ryan at third. Ryan laid out, knocked it down but the throw wasn't in time to retire Vollmuth this time around. Zeid settled down, getting a big ground ball to Honeck at first. Honeck threw to Prince at second for the first out and Prince turned the double play ball, throwing to Zeid, who was covering first on the play. With Stevens at third, Zeid's defense worked out of the inning again, this time with Prince making the big league play to end the inning. Tyler Koelling hit a comebacker that Zeid tried to snag but the ball ricocheted off his glove, toward Prince. The shortstop came in charging, bare-handed the ball and gunned down Koelling to end the inning and keep the Golden Eagles scoreless.
Tulane picked up another run in the top of the sixth when Moritz barreled up on the ball, sending it to the deepest part of the yard for a double off the centerfield wall. He moved up a base on a wild pitch and Mistich picked up the RBI on a single to left and the Wave enjoyed a 5-0 lead in the middle of six.
The Golden Eagles kept trying to get something going but the Wave defense wanted no part of it, as they stifled Southern Miss again in the bottom of the sixth. After pinch hitter Josh Fields reached to open the inning, Tulane's defense went right to work shutting down the remaining batters. Zeid induced a ground ball to Henry at second, who got the out at first, with Fields moving into scoring position. Bo Davis stepped in and the Golden Eagles' three-hitter hit a laser to Henry at second. Henry laid out and knocked it down to get Davis at first for the second out of the inning with Fields moving to third. Zeid would leave him there, as he induced the fly ball out from Brunty to end the inning, keeping the shutout intact, 5-0 through six.
Southern Miss finally cracked the Green Wave in the bottom of the seventh when Stevens picked up a one-out double. Zeid gave up the walk to Vollmuth and head coach Rick Jones called on Ryan Doiron to relieve Zeid in the inning. Doiron entered the contest and quickly picked up the second out of the inning on a ground ball back to the mound, retiring Travis Graves. With runners at second and third, Adam Doleac drew a walk and Jones brought in Nick Pepitone. Pepitone battled with Fields, who ultimately drew a base on balls to score Stevens and Southern Miss was on the board, 5-1. James Ewing stepped in and hit the chopper to third but two more runs would score when the throw to first was short and the Golden Eagles were mounting a comeback in the seventh, 5-3. Davis evened the ball game, when he doubled off the left field wall, scoring two and it was 5-5 headed into the eighth.
But Tulane's offense wasn't done yet. Henry drew a base on balls with one down and moved to second on a ground ball to the right side. Mistich picked up a walk and with runners at first and second, Drew Allain made the Golden Eagles pay for issuing a two-out walk, as the senior outfielder laced a base hit to the gap in left-center, scoring Henry and Mistich and putting the Wave back on top, 7-5.
Southern Miss struck back in the bottom half of the inning, when they put runners at the corners with no outs but Henry made the leaping grab to rob Vollmuth of the base hit for the first out of the inning. But the Golden Eagles kept chipping away, with Graves drawing a walk to load the bases. Michael Ewing stepped in and worked the count full before driving the ball to right field to clear the bases and Southern Miss got their first lead of the series, 8-7. Mason Griffin entered the contest for Tulane and got Fields to ground out for the second out of the inning but Southern Miss tacked on one more run, as James Ewing knocked in his twin Michael on a base hit to left and Southern Miss led 9-7, and the Golden Eagles held on for the victory.
Tulane will return to Pete Taylor Park Sunday for the rubber match of the finale. First pitch is slated for 1PM.
