April 16, 2011

Box Score | Box Score in PDF Format 

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The 25th-ranked Southern Miss baseball team used a pair of seven-run innings to defeat New Orleans, 14-1, in front of 3,402 fans Saturday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park.

"We came here to win, and that's what we did," said head coach Scott Berry. "I would have liked to spread out the scoring a little bit, but it's hard to recover from the big inning, and that's what we put on (New Orleans) in the first (inning). I thought Geoffrey (Thomas) looked very good on the mound. Once again, I think it starts on the mound to give your team the confidence and the ability to relax."

UNO (3-31) left two men on in the top of the first. Justin Diliberto led off with a single to center field, and came around to score on Tyler Koelling's first triple of the year. Two batters later, Jared Bales drove in Koelling with a double to right field. After Adam Doleac was hit by a pitch, a sacrifice fly moved Bales to third. Mark Ellis then hit a ground ball to third that Cameron Wheeless misplayed, allowing Bales to score the third run.

Ashley Graeter then singled to right center, scoring Doleac and knocking Privateer starting pitcher Robert Ormsbee out of the game. Relief pitcher Garrett Manning came in and immediately balked, bringing in Ellis. After Joe Martin and Diliberto both walked to load the bases, Koelling singled, scoring Martin and Graeter. Bourgeois then walked, but UNO got out of the inning when Bales hit into a fielder's choice.

New Orleans scored its first run of the series in the seventh inning. Zach Pohto and Beau Boudreaux reached on walks followed by a Wheeless single to drive in Pohto.

Southern Miss (26-8) was held to just one hit from innings two through seven. But in the eighth, Koelling earned a leadoff walk and Bourgeois was hit by a pitch. Bales then doubled them home and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Doleac followed with a ground ball to second, but Pohto booted the ball, allowing Doleac to reach and Bales to score. After Rodriguez doubled, Ellis brought in Doleac with a sacrifice fly. Graeter and Martin followed with consecutive doubles, each scoring a run. Two batters later, Koelling doubled to right center to drive in Martin. Bourgeois ended the inning by flying out to right field.

Geoffrey Thomas picked up his team-leading seventh victory of the season, going six innings, striking out five and allowing just five hits.

Koelling was 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBI, Bales was 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, and Graeter was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.

Southern Miss goes for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon when the teams meet at 1 p.m.