Lynch’s walk-off single gives USM 7-6 win Thursday over Troy

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDAM) - Danny Lynch smacked the first pitch he saw in the ninth inning into right-center field, scoring Slade Wilks with the go-ahead run as the University of Southern Mississippi walked off Troy University, 7-6, Thursday evening at Riverwalk Stadium.

Lynch’s hit propelled the second-seeded Golden Eagles (39-16) into Saturday’s semifinal round of the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship as the unbeaten.

The Golden Eagles would need one win Saturday to advance to Sunday’s 1 p.m. title game. The winner of Friday’s elimination game between Troy (39-19) and Appalachian State University (28-24) would have to beat USM twice Saturday to advance to Sunday’s finale.

USM held a 6-3 lead after six innings, but the Trojans rallied for a three runs in the top of the eighth inning.

The game stayed tied until the ninth.

Wilks opened with a single to right field off Ben Thompson (5-3), and after a change of pitchers to Noah Manning, Christopher Sargent followed with a walk.

Reece Ewing, struck out, but Lynch knocked Manning’s first offering into right-center to give USM its 16th win in 17 games.

Thompson took the loss, allowing a run on two hits over 2 2/3 innings. He struck out six, walked one.

Justin Storm (4-1) picked up the win, allowing an unearned run on two hits over 1 2/3 innings.

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