BILOXI, Miss. – No. 11 Southern Miss scored two runs in the first inning and then held on, as UTSA had the tying run on base in the ninth, for a 5-3 victory in the winners' bracket of the Conference USA Championship on Friday at MGM Park.
The Roadrunners (32-23) will play Charlotte in an elimination game at approximately 9 p.m. Friday. The contest will be streamed on ESPN3.
UTSA trailed by two runs in the final frame, but Dylan Rock was by a pitch as the leadoff batter. Following a popout off the bat of Chris Estrada, Garrett Moon hit a grounder through the left side of the infield to put a pair on base.
On a 3-2 count, and with runners in motion, Joshua Lamb bounced a grounder to third baseman Luke Reynolds, who tagged Rock and then threw across the diamond to first baseman Hunter Slater to complete the double play and end the game.
Trent Driver picked up his first save of the season after pitching the final two frames and allowing only one run.
The Golden Eagles (41-15) were led by starting pitcher Stevie Powers (5-1), who gave up just two runs on four hits and fanned five in seven innings of work. Powers also did not allow a baserunner until he hit Ryan Stacy with the second pitch of the fourth inning.
Southern Miss to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame after Matt Wallner and Daniel Keating each recorded RBI singles.
The game was delayed for an hour and four minutes in the bottom of the second inning due to a pair of consecutive lightning delays.
Powers appeared to be unaffected, as the left-hander retired the side on 10 pitches. He needed only eight to get through the third.
Powers retired 10 consecutive Roadrunners to start the contest. The streak ended in the fourth, as Stacy was hit with a pitch. Two batters later, UTSA picked up its first hit, as Tony Beam connected for a two-run homer, trimming the Golden Eagle lead to 3-2.
Slater began the sixth with a sharp single that was lined back up the middle and hit off the glove of Roadrunner starting pitcher Steven Dressler. Derek Craft came on to replace Dressler following the hit. He struck out the first two batters he faced, but Matt Guidry singled to center field and then LeeMarcus Boyd followed with an infield single that plated a run.
UTSA cut the lead to 4-3 in the eighth, as Trent Bowles hit a single to the right-center field gap, allowing Bryan Arias to score from second base.
Southern Miss loaded the bases in the ninth and pushed across an insurance run when Luke Reynolds walked on four consecutive pitches.
Dressler (5-4) took the loss after giving up four runs on seven hits over five-plus innings. He also struck out two.
The Roadrunners and 49ers (32-23) met in the opening round on Thursday. UTSA used a nine-run third inning en route to an 11-1 win to send Charlotte to the elimination bracket. The 49ers rebounded to defeat UAB, 2-0, in a game that ended in the early hours of Friday morning.
