Old Dominion takes series opener over USM, 4-1

Southern Miss Sports Information

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - Tanner Hall registered a career-best 14 strikeouts, but Old Dominion homered twice off him as the Monarchs upended No. 7 Southern Miss 4-1 Friday night at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.

The Golden Eagles (35-11 overall, 17-5 C-USA) ended a two-game winning streak, while ODU (30-12, 12-10) snapped a two-game losing streak.

The Monarchs, which ranked No. 2 in the country in home runs heading into the weekend, jumped out in front with a solo shot from Robbie Petracci, his 11th of the year, in the second.

Southern Miss evened the score in the third. After a strikeout, Gabe Montenegro walked. Dustin Dickerson, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games, singled before Christopher Sargent tied the game with a single of his own to left center bringing in Montenegro.

Thomas Wheeler gave the visitors the lead for good with an RBI single in the fifth, before Matt Coutney blasted his 23rd homer of the year, a solo shot, in the eighth and Kyle Edwards finished the scoring with an RBI double in the ninth.

Hall went eight innings for the Golden Eagles and gave up three runs on eight hits and no walks to suffer his first loss of the season to fall to 7-1.

At one point, Hall had fanned seven of eight batters.

Montenegro led the Golden Eagles with a pair of hits, including a seventh-inning double, which was his 300th career hit as a Golden Eagle.

ODU starter Blake Morgan gave up a run over seven innings and allowed seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts to earn the victory and improve to 6-0. Jason Hartline tossed the final two innings to earn his fifth save.

The series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. contest.

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