KNOXVILLE, Tenn – The long-awaited rematch will happen.
Southern Miss will get their chance to play the No. 1 team in America, Tennessee, tonight for the Regional Final after upending Indiana 15-3.
The Volunteers ended the Golden Eagles season last year in Hattiesburg and Southern Miss has a chance to rewrite the wrong.
The Golden Eagles’ offense erupted early in the first inning, with a five spot in the first inning. Ozzie Pratt, Slade Wilks, Braden Luke and Gabe Broadus all earned RBIs in the first inning to put the Golden Eagles up 5-0 early.
Southern Miss starter Colby Allen pitched a clean first frame in the first inning to follow. After the teams traded scoreless frames, Southern Miss erupted in the top of the third inning.
Allen knew that he would be starting for just the second time this season last night when Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander texted him he would have the ball with the season on the line.
“That’s usually how it goes,” Allen said on the text. “It’s usually ‘u got the ball.’ with a period and there you go,”
Pratt got himself another RBI single, Slade Wilks drew an RBI walk, Davis Gillespie collected an RBI double, Russo picked up an RBI single and to round it out Luke registered his third RBI of the game.
At the outset, Southern Miss led Indiana 11-0, coming out of the top of the third inning.
In the next inning, Southern Miss added four more runs with Pratt, Wilks and Russo getting a double. All of that extended the lead to 15-0 for Southern Miss with not even half the game complete.
Allen pitched his longest outing of the mound, giving Southern Miss another key performance on the mound to save the arms for Tennessee.
Allen pitched a final line of: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 8 K, 2 BB, 97 TP.
“I kind of manipulated my slider a bit to get it to move a little bit more,” Allen said. “That was to get hitters off their balance a little bit, that was kind of getting me over and then I would throw my slider/cutter a little harder.”
He allowed just one Indiana baserunner to reach second base.
Reliever Cole Boswell came in and shut down the rest of Indiana’s lineup, allowing two hits.
With their backs against the wall, Southern Miss unleashed one of their most dominant performances.
“I got all of the confidence in the rest of the bullpen,” Allen said. “They are about to go out there and let Tennessee have it.”
Obviously, now all the attention turns to the blockbuster game between the Golden Eagles and Tennessee.
The Volunteers have won 11 straight regional games and will look to make it 12 against Southern Miss.
The Golden Eagles will have to beat Tennessee twice to deny them a berth in the NCAA Super Regionals.
First pitch is set for 6 PM ET.
