After a rained-out Saturday at the Pete, the Golden Eagles’ strong pitching and confident batting propelled them to victory over the Jaguars.
After allowing a two-run Jags homer in the first, USM’s Taylor Braley settled into his pitches, finishing the day with three earned runs and eight hits, with four strikeouts through over five innings pitched. Braley also went 2-3 behind the plate, with two RBIs and a solo home run over the scoreboard in the 5th inning.
“Taylor just had to settle in, and him being able to throw the change up was huge,” Coach Scott Berry said about Braley. “He did it on both sides, with the homer and another double in the next inning. Facing all of those lefties was tough and he did a great job against them.”
Three batters later, Tracey Hadley added a three-run shot over the wall at center field, stretching the Golden Eagles’ lead to 7-2 after five innings.
“These guys really compete and carry one another,” Berry added. “There were some great at-bats today with guys reaching on walks and being patient.”
Freshman Matt Walner also added two RBIs on the day, going 2-3 at the plate. Closing out on the mound were Nick Sandlin and Hayden Roberts, who both pitched one inning and each earned one strikeout.
This marks the 50th win of the year for Southern Miss, as they continue their historic season.
USM will play the winner of tonight’s game between South Alabama and Mississippi State tomorrow at Pete Taylor Park in the Regional Final. The game is set for 1 p.m. with an additional 6 p.m. game if necessary.
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