HATTIESBURG — Tanner Hall sparkled and Southern Miss scraped across enough offense to defeat fourth-seeded Army 2-0 in the first game of the Hattiesburg Regional.
Hall kept Army off the scoreboard through eight stellar innings, and the Golden Eagles overcame some difficulties hitting with runners on base.
Christopher Sargent’s RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning put USM ahead to stay.
Scott Berry’s club added an insurance run when a throwing error by Army shortstop Kevin Dubrule plated Gabe Montenegro from second base.
Landon Harper closed the game out for the Golden Eagles with a scoreless ninth.
Hall’s brilliance lifts Southern Miss
Hall’s outing marked the fifth time this season that he’s pitched at least seven innings without allowing an earned run.
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He dominated with his slider early, striking out eight Army batters through the first four innings.
Pitching to contact in the later frames, Hall totaled eight scoreless innings, striking out nine and allowing just four hits and one walk.
USM keeps Army’s strength at bay
Army came into this contest with a reputation for playing small ball. The Black Knights stole 101 bases to rank inside the top 25 nationally, and USM coach Scott Berry highlighted their tendency to put pressure on defenses.
The Golden Eagles handled the threat on the base paths with ease. Catcher Blake Johnson threw out the only Black Knight who attempted to steal.
In fact, Southern Miss showcased some small ball of its own, manufacturing a run in the sixth inning with a sacrifice bunt and the help of an Army error.
Golden Eagles struggle with runners on base
It didn’t cost them, but the Golden Eagles continued their recent trend of struggling to cash in runners on base.
USM advanced runners to third base in three of the first four innings and failed to score — including two separate failures to cash in a runner on third with fewer than than two outs.
The Golden Eagles stranded seven baserunners before Sargent’s RBI double broke the scoreless tie in the fifth — leaving nine on base in total for the game.
Reach Southern Miss writer David Eckert at [email protected] or on Twitter @davideckert98.
