HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Little Rock's bats fell quiet as another big sixth inning for Southern Miss helped propel the Golden Eagles to the 4-1 win at Pete Taylor Park. The two teams will meet again Sunday in the series finale as the Trojans seek to avoid the sweep.
Little Rock managed just one run on five hits Saturday afternoon, scattering them among five different batters. A double by
Tim Dixon in the sixth was the lone extra base hit by the Trojans with
Kale Emshoff,
Tucker Childers,
Miguel Soto and
Houston Parker finding their way into the hit column. Emshoff finished the day 1-for-3, extending his hit streak to 10 games.
The Trojan pitching staff limited the Golden Eagles to four runs on eight hits as Southern Miss stranded 11 batters. Starter
Erik McKnight lasted two innings, giving up a run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Austin Smith pitched two innings in relief, as did
Cal Beardsley, as the duo combined to limit Southern Miss to one hit.
Luke Wallner was tagged with the loss, entering the game in the fifth with the game tied 1-1 and lasting 1.1 innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits. Wallner walked two batters as the Trojan pitching staff struck out just three.
Once again, Little Rock got on the board first, getting a run in the top of the second. Following leadoff walks from Soto and
Kobe Barnum, Parker laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners 90 feet. A wild pitch scored Soto from third and moved Barnum to third, but he was thrown out at home off a fielders choice one batter later.
Southern Miss answered with a run in the bottom of the second, tying the game at 1-1. It would remain that way until the sixth when a bases loaded walk broke the tie, followed by a two RBI single to give the Golden Eagles the insurance runs.
Game three of the series is set for 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon as
Aaron Funk is scheduled to make the start for Little Rock. It will be Funk's first appearance since his 17-strikeout performance against North Alabama last Sunday, earning him conference and national accolades.
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