After multiple weather delays, Southern Miss held off Tennessee for a 5-3 win in the opening game of the Hattiesburg Super Regional.
The Golden Eagles, who will be the home team for the second game, have a chance to punch their ticket to Omaha later today. First pitch for the second game is set for 2 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN.
The matchup between Southern Miss and Tennessee went in a weather delay in the top of the fifth inning, with the Golden Eagles holding a 4-0 lead.
SATURDAY’S FIRST HALF
Tate Parker put Southern Miss on the board with a 2-run triple in the first inning. Dustin Dickerson and Nick Monistere hit solo home runs in the third and fourth innings, respectively. In total, Southern Miss (46-18) put up six hits against Tennessee’s starting pitcher Andrew Lindsey before the Volunteers (41-20) swapped pitchers after the first delay.
The game went into its first weather delay with two outs in the fourth inning. After 1 hour and 35 minutes, Billy Oldham got out of the inning with a strikeout, but after just 13 minutes of play, the game went into a second delay with Tennessee having a runner at first with one out and the Vols' Zane Denton facing a 1-1 count.
In Oldham’s start, the right-hander allowed two hits in 4.1 innings of work and struck out five batters while not issuing a walk.
SUNDAY'S SECOND HALF
At the resumption of play, relief pitcher Will Armistead picked up the first out but then struggled with control as he hit a batter and then gave up a walk. He then hit another batter to walk in a run for Tennessee. In the next at-bat, Jared Dickey delivered a 2-run single to make the score 4-3 before Justin Storm got out of the inning for Southern Miss.
The Golden Eagles did get a run back in the sixth inning, with Carson Paetow driving in a run on a fielder’s choice to push USM’s lead to 5-3.
Storm finished the game for the Golden Eagles as he picked up his seventh win after throwing 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out three batters, walking two and giving up two hits.
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