Southern Miss Wins Conference Series at Old Dominion

Southern Miss Sports Information

NORFOLK, Va. (WDAM) -

After falling in a close 8-7 contest in the opening game of a doubleheader, Southern Miss jumped out to a big lead and held on late to garner an 11-8 nightcap victory to split a twinbill while taking a series win over Old Dominion, Saturday, at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.

The Golden Eagles improved to 19-11 overall and 7-5 in Sun Belt Conference play, while the Monarchs fell to 23-8 and 8-4.

In the nightcap, Southern Miss banged out 14 hits, getting three from Dustin Dickerson and two each from Slade Wilks, Christopher Sargent, Tate Parker, Carson Paetow and Nick Monistere, who was making his first collegiate start as a position player. Both Parker and Monistere each drove in three runs in the contest.

Southern Miss scored in seven different innings, including a four-run fifth to break open the contest to an 8-2 game. Matthew Etzel plated that first run with a sacrifice fly in that frame, before the Golden Eagles added a tally on a wild pitch. Monistere, who knocked in Danny Lynch in with a triple in his first at bat in the second inning, then drove home the final two runs in the frame with a two-run single.

Billy Oldham, in his first weekend start, gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings to get the victory and improve to 3-1.

The Monarchs did rally for three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to cut the gap, but the visitors added a run in both the eighth – an RBI double from Paetow – and ninth frames – a bases loaded walk to Parker – to help with the final deficit.

ODU used 10 pitchers in the second game with starter Dylan Brown (3-2) suffering the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with a strikeout over two innings.

In the opener, Southern Miss got three RBI from both Dickerson and Lynch and rallied late to make the game close.

Down 8-4 in the eighth, the Golden Eagles rallied for three in the frame. Paetow opened the frame with a single before Rodrigo Montenegro walked. After a couple of outs, Dickerson ripped a pitch into the left-center field gap to clear the bases.

The Golden Eagles got a leadoff single in the ninth by Parker to try and start a rally but the next three batters were erased to end the game.

ODU starter Sam Armstrong (6-0) limited the Golden Eagles to two runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts over five innings to earn the victory. Matt Adams, who left the game due to injury in the second, suffered the loss and fell to 2-2.

The Golden Eagles, which are 5-2 in a stretch that has them playing 12 of 16 games away from home, travel to play Alabama in a 6 p.m. Tuesday contest.

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