AUBURN, Ala. – It wasn't the ending that was supposed to happen as Tanner Hall erupted with emotion after throwing nine complete innings and a 123-pitch career-high.
Instead of coming away with a walk-off victory, the Golden Eagles couldn't respond and take advantage of having bases loaded with no outs, which was their frustrating Achilles heel in the 4-2 extra innings loss to Samford to open the Auburn Regional.
"This is a veteran club," Southern Miss coach Scott Berry said. "I think they have shown their resiliency throughout the season. We have won 19 of 22 now. Here of late, we are going to draw strength on those experiences of being able to win. There's nothing more to me that motivates you than knowing you can't lose. It's not pressure. It's motivation to go out, lock in and have an attitude with a purpose when you take the field tomorrow."
Southern Miss left 14 runners on base by the end of the game. As for Samford, the Bulldogs didn't need many baserunners, more so rather for Hall to be out of the game as Samford hit a solo home run over batter's eye in straightaway center to take the lead and set up a 3-run rally in the 10th inning.
Adding insult to injury was how Southern Miss loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 10th inning and only managed to score one run on a fielder's choice. The Golden Eagles were 3-for-17 with runners on base and 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
The lackluster hitting effort nullified Hall's deep outing as the right-hander struck out nine batters, walked two, and gave up eight hits and one run, which was scored in the third inning off a 2-out RBI double.
"In a game like that, it's not so much of a grind," said Hall on how he handled his high pitch count. "I know in the back of my head that my pitch count was high, but I have to convince myself that I'm alright and that I'm good. I go out there and treat it just the way I was in the first inning, like I was fresh.
"I feel like everything started falling together to where I could land my off-speed for when I got behind in a 2-0 count. I feel like I was doing the same thing that I was doing at the beginning of the game, which was attacking guys."
But USM left runners on base in seven of the 10 innings, while in three innings the Golden Eagles did not strand runners they were retired in order.
The only successful scoring for Southern Miss was in the fifth after Dustin Dickerson drove in a run-on sac fly to tie the game. Samford's two pitchers combined to strike out eight batters and gave up nine walks and eight hits.
"I thought we had great at-bats all day," said Dickerson, who was 2-for-3. "We had bases loaded in multiple innings and didn't get the big hit. It happens sometimes.
"The (starter) had a really good arm. The guy out of the bullpen was really good as well and kept us off balance."
In the top of the 10th inning, Justin Storm gave up a solo home run, with Niko Mazza later giving up an RBI double and an RBI sac fly to essentially seal Southern Miss' fate.
"You can't turn on each other," Hall said. "You have to keep the fire going. If we lose another one, it's over for us. We can point fingers. If we do that, then I can put fingers at myself and say it's my fault for giving up the run in the third inning. It's a team sport. We need bats to go, and we need pitchers to pitch. If they don't fall together that day, then so be it. We'll come back the next day. Now that we know we can only have one more loss, it's do or die. Everybody is going to be battling, whether it be on the mound or in the box."
Southern Miss will now wait to play the loser of the Auburn-Penn game tomorrow at 2 p.m.
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