Frustration - that’s the only way to describe Southern Miss’ 6-5 extra-inning home loss to South Alabama on Tuesday night.
In 13 innings, the Golden Eagle’s lineup squandered its few scoring opportunities and put up just seven hits, while USM’s pitching staff gave up 13 hits. But the most irritating stat of the night was the five errors Southern Miss’ defense committed that led to the Jaguars scoring three of their runs.
“I saw the hurt in their eyes, which I wanted to see,” Southern Miss coach Scott Berry said. “They are as disappointed as anybody. Everybody is looking at each other, searching for that answer on why that didn’t happen; sometimes, it doesn’t happen. What you hope, moving forward, is this a lesson for us to learn from and get better from. That’s the only thing that we can do. In the three phases of the game, we got outhit, we got outpitched and we got outdefended.”
EARLY ERRORS
Southern Miss (3-1) had already committed two errors in the game’s first two innings, but neither was costly - that is, until the third.
USM’s starting pitcher Tanner Hall gave up back-to-back singles to open the inning. Gabe Montenegro looked to minimize the potential damage after he robbed a potential 3-run home run in right center, which instead resulted in South Alabama (2-2) scoring its first run on an RBI sac fly.
However, the Jaguars managed to score those two potential runs after USA drove in another run from an RBI single. Hall then gave up a double with two outs. The sophomore almost got out of the innings, but a throwing error by Dustin Dickerson allowed another Jaguar run to score and give South Alabama a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, defensive problems continued to linger. After Hall gave up a two-out walk, a passed ball moved the runner to second, which South Alabama capitalized on with an RBI single to extend the lead to 4-0.
“Our defense killed us tonight,” Berry said. “We didn’t make plays. There were obviously the five errors. You just want to throw up when you see that. Of the six runs they score, three of them are unearned, so if you take away the three off the board, you win 5-3. You have to play that part of the game. You have to catch the ball and throw the ball. We just didn’t do that tonight as we needed.”
In five innings, Hall allowed two earned runs off hits, while striking out six batters and walking one.
BIG SWINGS
In the bottom of the fourth, Reece Ewing gave the Golden Eagles life with a two-out, two-run home run, which was Southern Miss’ first homer of the season, and narrowed the deficit to 4-2.
South Alabama scored another run in the eighth inning, but the Golden Eagles responded in the bottom of the frame with a 3-run home run to tie the game at 5-5.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Unfortunately, Sargent’s big swing was the last at-bat that saw any production, as Southern Miss’ lineup failed to come up with potential game-winning scoring opportunities in the 11th and 12th.
After the eighth inning, the game went into extra innings after the Golden Eagles’ lineup was retired in order in the ninth and 10th innings. USM’s first opportunity to score came after Will McGillis drew a two-out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball, but the chance to score was squandered after Slade Wilks grounded out.
Southern Miss’ biggest opportunity to put the game away came in the 12th inning after Blake Johnson led off with a double and then advanced to third base after a ground out. Dustin Dickerson then drew a two-out walk, but Danny Lynch grounded into a double play to end the threat.
“We didn’t square up balls other than Blake Johnson’s leadoff double,” Berry said. “We are in the perfect position right there to win the ball game. We have the top of the lineup, and it just didn’t happen.
“I thought our guys never quit playing. But we missed on opportunities that we gave ourselves in extra innings. We had the guys that we wanted, but I think when you look at the storyline of this game, it’s defense.”
Finally, in the top of the 13th inning, errors came back to haunt Southern Miss. USA’s leadoff runner reached base after Sargent missed a routine throw to first base. With two outs, the Jaguars came up with back-to-back singles to put the game away.
“To me, errors are mental,” Berry said. “It starts on the mental side before it becomes physical. Mental creates the physical, whether it’s becoming complacent not playing through the baseball. All those things play into it.”
LOSING STREAK
South Alabama continues to own Southern Miss in baseball as the Jaguars extend their win streak to six games over the Golden Eagles.
Notably, the last time Southern Miss had five or more errors was against South Alabama on April 2, 2019, which is when the losing streak began.
BULLPEN STAYS STRONG
While there weren’t many positives from the game, the Golden Eagles’ bullpen combined to allow just one earned run.
In relief, the pitching staff turned to Tyler Stuart, Garrett Ramsey, Chandler Best, Dalton Rogers, Justin Storm, Landon Harper, who took the loss, and Drew Boyd. The group combined to give up eight hits, walk two batters and record seven strikeouts in eight innings.
“They didn’t quit,” Berry said. “If you keep playing and competing, then you have a chance. It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but I never questioned the desire to win that baseball game out of our guys.”
Southern Miss returns to action this weekend as the Golden Eagles host Jacksonville State on Friday. The first pitch against the Gamecocks is set for 6 p.m.
