HATTIESBURG, Miss.?Don Williams tossed a complete game four-hitter
as ULM blew past Southern Miss 9-2 Tuesday night at Pete Taylor Park.
Williams (2-0) faced just five batters over the minimum
as he issued just two walks and got the Golden Eagles to ground into a double
play ? two of Southern Miss' four hits came in the final inning of the game. The
junior finished the game with four strike outs and becomes the first Warhawk
pitcher to throw a complete game since Jared Jennings went the distance against
Troy on May 11, 2008.
After neither team could muster a base runner in the
opening frame, the Warhawks (13-10) exploded for six runs over the next three
innings.
Matt Collins led off the second drawing a walk and then
Jordy Poche tripled to right field to plate the first run of the game. Ryan
McMillan followed with a single to right to score Poche. Poche extended the ULM
lead out to 3-0 with a high chopper back to the pitcher with the bases loaded in
the third.
Collins finished the game 3-for-3 from the plate and has
gone 5-for-6 since his walk-off home run against Arkansas State on Sunday. He
entered the game ranked 15th in the country with 38 base hits on the
season.
The Warhawks kept the pressure on in the fourth as Nick
Wade and Josh Gill led off the inning with a double and a single. One out later,
Jon Prevost laced a double down the left-field line to score both runners and
give the Warhawks a 6-0 lead.
Prevost added a two-run homer in the top of the eighth
inning scoring Kelvin York who reached on a pinch-hit single. Over ULM's last
seven games, which have been played in the past eight days, Prevost has six
home runs, two doubles, a triple, 16 RBIs and has scored 16 runs.
After a pair of scoreless frames, the ULM bats got back
to work in the seventh inning. Ben Soignier led off the inning with a single
and moved to third on a double by Collins. Matt Laird got in the mix with a
single through the left side of the infield to increase the ULM lead out to
7-1.
This is the second straight victory for the Warhawks over
Southern Miss in Hattiesburg and the visitors have now four straight games in
the series.
Williams held the Golden Eagles (13-9) without a hit over
the first four innings of the game. Joey Archer, USM's 14th batter
of the game, was the first to break through with a solo home run to center
field to lead off the fifth inning. The Golden Eagles pieced together a pair of
hits in the ninth for their other run of the night.
Scott Copeland (1-4) took the loss for Southern Miss
allowing three runs on three hits in two innings of work.
The Warhawks return to Sun Belt Conference play this
weekend as they travel to Boca Raton, Fla., for three games at Florida
Atlantic.
