USM drops 2nd straight baseball game at UAB

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WDAM) - Prior to Saturday afternoon, the University of Southern Mississippi baseball team had suffered through only one losing streak this season.

Less than 24 hours after seeing a 15-game winning streak snapped, the fourth-ranked Golden Eagles started their second skid of the spring.

USM (33-10, 16-4 Conference USA) was checked on three hits and shut out over the final eight innings Saturday, as the University of Alabama-Birmingham rallied for the second consecutive day, nipping the Golden Eagles 3-2 at Young Memorial Field.

The Blazers (25-16, 10-10) became the first conference to win weekend series against the Golden Eagles, but also hand USM its first road losses in league in the process.

USM scored twice in the first inning on a walk, hit-by-pitch, run-scoring single by Carson Paetow and sacrifice fly by Slade Wilks.

Paetow would finish with two of USM’s three hits.

UAB got a run back when Marc Mullins led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run before taking the lead for good in the fourth inning.

Tyler Waugh was hit by a pitch and Caleb Floyd singled to open the inning, and both eventually came around to score on Brandon Willoughby’s single.

UAB starter Leo Harris (1-1) allowed two runs on two hits over six innings to pick up the win. He waked two, struck out four.

Aidan Moza set the Golden Eagles down in order to pick up the save.

USM starter Hunter Taggart took the loss, allowing three runs on six over six innings. He walked two, struck out six.

The Golden Eagles will try to avoid the sweep Sunday when the teams meet at 1 p.m.

Copyright 2022 WDAM. All rights reserved.

Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.