May 11, 2008

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss closed out the home portion of the regular season schedule in style with a near no-hitter and a 13-0 seven-inning mercy-rule victory over Conference USA foe Memphis to sweep the weekend series.

Barry Bowden (7-2) made his second start since returning from his injury and was as close to perfect as possible. He threw five innings without allowing a hit and walking only one, retiring the first 14 batters he faced before issuing a walk to KK Chambers with two outs in the fourth inning. In his five innings of work he struck out six Tiger hitters and lowered his Conference USA leading ERA to 1.50.

Since returning to the mound Bowden has made two starts picking up two wins in nine innings of work, allowing only two hits and striking out 14 batters.

Brian Leach worked the final two innings allowing the only hit of the game in the seventh and final inning while striking out one.

Memphis only had three base runners all afternoon and no one reached second base in the game.

Over the three game series Southern Miss hit .447 as a team with 51 hits including 11 doubles and seven home runs for a slugging percentage of .728 while scoring 46 runs.

Southern Miss has now won five consecutive games and nine of the last 10 C-USA games including sweeping the last two home series over Houston and Memphis.

Trey Sutton led the red hot Golden Eagle offense with a three-for-four afternoon including a double, three RBI and three runs scored. Michael Ewing went deep twice for his team leading tenth home run of the season picking up three RBI on the afternoon.

Bo Davis, Drew Carson and Keith Winstead each had two hits a piece as well.

Southern Miss (37-15, 14-7 CUSA) scored in the bottom of the first for the third consecutive game with three runs on four hits and the end of the first frame. Bo Davis led off the inning with a single to center field and Brian Dozier executed a perfect hit and run single to right field to put runners on the corners. Trey Sutton followed with a high chop off home plate for an RBI infield single scoring Davis from third.

Kyle Maxie kept the rally going with a RBI single just past second baseman into right field to score Dozier from third. Drew Carson platted the final run of the opening frame with a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Sutton from third for a 3-0 lead.

Keith Winstead led off the second inning with a four pitch walk and Bo Davis picked up the RBI with a single to right-center field scoring Winstead for a 4-0 advantage.

Carson led off the bottom of the fourth inning with his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot to straight away center field. Winstead singled to right field and Michael Ewing blasted his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field to put Southern Miss on top 7-0.

The inning continued as Davis and James Ewing drew walks and Trey Sutton scored both runners with a double down the right field line off new pitcher Neil Schenk. Maxie drew a walk and Carson collected his second hit of the inning with a double to left center scoring Sutton for a 10-0 lead.

Micheal Ewing blasted his second home run of the day and tenth of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning to almost the same exact spot he his home run in the fourth inning.

Southern Miss continued to pile on the runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Sutton singled up the middle, Carson walked and Chris Matesich was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Winstead singled to center field to score Sutton and Carson for a 13-0 lead.

Southern Miss will return to action Tuesday for their final non-conference game of the season at South Alabama in Mobile.

-southernmiss.com-