May 9, 2008

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -

Southern Miss 21, Memphis 3

Memphis (16-33; 4-14 C-USA)                  000 300 000 -  3  9 1
No. 30 Southern Miss (35-15; 12-7 C-USA)     121 470 06x - 21 27 0

Southern Miss designated hitter Kyle Maxie homered twice to lead a season-high 27-hit attack for the Golden Eagles, who scored in each of the first six innings, en route to handing Memphis a convincing 21-3 loss in the series opener at Pete Taylor Park on Friday night.

After Memphis scored a three-run fourth inning to close the gap to 4-3, Southern Miss made it no contest by scoring the game's next 13 runs. The 18-run loss is the worst loss ever by Memphis to Southern Miss. It eclipses the 13-run shutout suffered at the hands of the Golden Eagles in the 2004 C-USA Tournament.

All nine USM starters hit safely and eight posted multiple hits. Bo Davis, Brian Dozier and Drew Carson all had four hits. Dozier drove in four, while Carson scored five times.

It didn't take Southern Miss long to get on the board. The Golden Eagles started the home half of the first with three consecutive singles to claim a 1-0 lead. Leadoff hitter Davis legged out an infield single to shortstop. Dozier lined a single to left and James Ewing drove an RBI-single up the middle to plate Davis. With runners on first and second with no outs, Memphis starter Scott McGregor induced a double play and then fanned Kyle Maxie to hold the Golden Eagles to the lone run in the first.

A pair of doubles by Carson and Keith Winstead made it a 2-0 ballgame in the second. Another infield single from Davis was followed by an RBI-single to left by Dozier and USM was out to a comfortable 3-0 lead after two innings of play.

Holding the Golden Eagles off scoreboard proved to be a tough task, as they used a two-out rally to score another run in the third. After McGregor retired the first two batters of the inning, another string of three straight hits by Carson, Chris Matesich and Winstead produced USM's fourth run of the night. Winstead's single through the leftside plated Carson.

Memphis finally got on the board in the top of the fourth on the strength of a Tyler Huelsing home run. The sophomore belted a 1-0 offering from Todd McInnis over the leftfield wall for his third round-tripper of the season to cut into the Southern Miss cushion, 4-1. Huelsing's blast ignited a three-run U of M rally that quickly got them back into the game. Brett Bowen and Trey Wiedman each banged out singles and Robby Graham and Chris Kirkland each drew walks. Kirkland's free pass came with the bases loaded and cut the deficit in half, 4-2. Chris Newsom then sent a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to bring Wiedman in, cutting the game to a one-run contest.

Just as Memphis got back into the game with three in the top of the fourth, USM made it four straight innings in which they scored a run, with another two-out rally. This time it was Maxie's big swing that highlighted the stanza. With runners on the corners, the big lefthander sent a towering three-run blast just over the leftfield wall to give Southern Miss a 7-3 advantage. Drew Carson's second double of the night chased McGregor from the contest in favor of Philip Utley. Matesich greeted Utley with an RBI-double to rightcenter to give the Golden Eagles a commanding 8-4 lead.

A seven-run fifth inning outburst by USM put the game out of reach. Each of the first seven batters to step to the plate reached base and Maxie's second home run of the night--another towering shot, this time over the centerfield wall--made it 14-3.

Not only was Southern Miss overpowering offensively, but its defense also turned in a good night, flipping four double plays in the contest.

McGregor took the loss to fall to 1-7 on the year, while USM reliever Jonathan Johnston earned the win to improve to 3-0.

The 21 runs allowed by Memphis was the most since Marshall scored 21 in a 21-7 rout of the Tigers in 2007. The 18-run deficit is the largest for the Tigers since they fell to Nicholls State 25-4 in the 2005 campaign.

Memphis and Southern Miss will play game two of the three-game set tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. at Pete Taylor Park.