It took over six hours for the first run to score in Southern Miss' 7-1 win against James Madison on Saturday. Although this was mainly due to a 4-hour rain delay, the Golden Eagles made the wait worth it as USM plated five runs in the seventh inning to propel the victory and clinch the series.
"It was a tale of two games," Southern Miss coach Scott Berry said. "I hope it says that they were determined to win that game even though it was a 4-hour delay. We knew we had to finish that game."
OLDHAM'S ONE-HITTER
The other reason the game's first six innings were scoreless was because of a pitching duel between USM's Billy Oldham and JMU's Todd Mozoki.
"(Oldham) was really good," Berry said. "He was throwing three pitches for strikes. He kept his pitch count down. I hate that the delay interrupted his outing because I think he could have gone through eight or maybe complete game that thing. He really commanded that zone. He just didn't have many mistakes."
The two starting pitchers traded four scoreless innings of baseball, but Mozoki's pitch count reached 92 pitches by the end of the fourth. In his outing, he walked two batters, struck out four and walked two batters.
Oldham, however, maintained a low pitch count as he threw just 73 pitches by the end of the sixth inning. The right-handed transfer from Eastern Connecticut struck out a season-high of eight batters. His only blemishes were a leadoff walk in the third inning and then a 1-out single in the fifth inning to break up his no-hitter.
"Walking up to the mound, you can see the zero in the hit column, so I kind of knew it, but once I walked a guy and there was no chance for a perfect game, then the goal was to just attack hitters," said Oldham if he knew if he was throwing a no-hitter.
"We knew going into it that they didn't strike out easy. They were fouling pitches off. They were putting balls into play. We knew they didn't have a lot of power as a team, and they were going to hit singles. We knew if I attacked them that they weren't going to beat us with homers."
Unfortunately, Oldham's outing was cut short after the sixth inning due to the game entering into a 4-hour and 11-minute weather delay.
SEVENTH INNING RALLY
JMU's bullpen struggled late to find the strike zone as the Dukes (20-14, 5-7 Sun Belt) walked a pair of batters and gave up a single to load the bases with no outs.
Dustin Dickerson then broke the stalemate open with a 2-run single. Slade Wilks followed with a 3-run home run that traveled 423 feet for his 12th home run of the season and pushed Southern Miss' (21-12, 9-5) lead to 5-0.
"Their starter was making some good pitches. We were having some good at-bats early," Wilks said. "We hit some balls really well; it just seemed to go right at them. It was just one of those kinds of things.
"When Dickerson gets the big two RBI single there, then all of the pressure is off. I just go out there and swing it."
On the mound, USM's reliever Will Armistead allowed one run in the eighth inning but finished the final three innings.
MONISTERE CONTINUES TO SHINE
True freshman Nick Monistere maintained Southern Miss' offense momentum with his first career home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
"Right before the at-bat, Coach (Travis) Creel called me over and said, 'Nicky, I want you to sit slider and hit it over the fence,'" Monistere said. "I got and thank God it happened.
"About halfway down the line, I knew it was gone. It was amazing. I never felt anything like it. Growing up as a kid, you always want to hit your first college homer, and it was the best experience to happen in my life."
In just his fourth start, Monistere hit a 2-run bomb to extend the lead to 7-1. The second baseman has been one of the most impactful players for the Golden Eagles' lineup since earning his first start in the final game of the Old Dominion series. In the last four games, Monistere is 4-for-12, driven in five runs and has drawn four walks.
"I liked his approach in (batting practice)," said Berry on the decision to play Monistere at second base. "He has responded and not given me any reason to take him out.
"We know he is going to have to pitch at some point. We are going to have to use that to our advantage, probably late in the game, if we start him at second base. Right now, I think he gives you that offensive punch down at the end of the order that we need so badly."
Right-hander Niko Mazza was announced as Southern Miss' starting pitcher, first pitch for Sunday's game is set for 11:30 a.m.
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