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Baseball Opens Conference Action with 9-3 Win Over Rice in Game One of Weekend Series
March 23, 2007 HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Luke Adkins finished with a game-high three hits, including two doubles and collected four RBIs to lead No. 28 Southern Miss to a 9-3 win over No. 7 Rice, at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field, tonight to open Conference USA action in front of 4,119 in attendance. Ryan Belanger (5-1) earned his fifth win of the season, pitching 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out six batters. Tyler Conn (2) earned his second save of the season, pitching the final 2.1 innings, striking out four batters. Rice starting pitcher Ryan Berry (3-1) dropped his first decision of the year, giving up four runs on four hits, four walks and one strikeout. The Owls used five pitchers in the game. Southern Miss (17-6, 1-0 Conference USA) finished with nine runs on 12 hits and committed an error, while Rice (17-9, 0-1 C-USA) scored three runs on four his and committed an error. This marked the first time the Golden Eagles defeated Rice, dropping all four games the two teams played last year. Michael Ewing hit a two-run homer in the first inning, giving the Golden Eagles the early 2-0 lead. Jordan Dodson hit a solo homer in the third inning to cut the Southern Miss lead to one, 2-1. Southern Miss answered with two runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-2 lead. Luke Adkins hit a two-run double to right center to plate Michael Ewing and Trey Cuevas. The Golden Eagles tacked on another run in the fourth inning to extend its lead to 5-2. Eddie Burger singled to center to lead off the inning, moved to second on Trey Sutton's ground out to short and scored on James Ewing's single to center. The Owls scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut the Golden Eagle lead to 5-3. Jess Burger reached on a one-out walk, before Dodson hit his second home run of the night to left field. Southern Miss extended its lead in the ninth inning, scoring four runs to post the final outcome, 9-3. Adkins hit a two-RBI double to left center, Bailey Hartel singled to center to drive in Adkins, and Bo Davis singled through the left side to drive in Hartel. The two teams play the second of the three-game weekend series on Saturday at 3 p.m.
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