For the second straight game, Southern Miss decided to challenge UL’s best player and it backfired again.
This time, however, the Golden Eagles made up for it by delivering a clutch RBI single off the Ragin’ Cajuns' best arm to turn the tables on UL for a 3-2 win Saturday at Russo Park.
“It was a great baseball game,” UL coach Matt Deggs. “It was a good scrap all the way around.”
The Cajuns dropped to 32-13 overall and 16-4 in Sun Belt play, while the Eagles improved to 27-16 and 12-8. The rubber game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.
Troy defeated Coastal Carolina again Saturday, which reduces UL’s lead in the Sun Belt standings to three games.
The eighth innings on Friday night and Saturday were incredibly similar when Southern Miss pitched to UL shortstop Kyle DeBarge with two on and one out while leading 2-0 in the eighth.
On Friday, DeBarge hit an eventual game-winning, three-run homer.
On Saturday, DeBarge hit the first pitch he saw up the middle for a two-run single to tie the game.
“He’s a stud,” Deggs said of DeBarge. “He’ll play this game for a long time for a reason. He’s just made for those moments.”
The Cajuns weren’t able to capitalize on the momentum this time around.
“We hit-and-run on the next pitch and it’s a line drive at the left fielder,” Deggs said. “We’ve got our opportunity right there. We just have to do a better job of putting the ball in play.”
Lee Amedee lined to left and then DeBarge was thrown out at second base to end the threat.
“Credit those guys,” Deggs said. “They executed pitches.”
After closer LP Langevin threw only 14 pitches to nail down Friday’s win, Deggs went back to his right-hander again.
On Saturday, he hit leadoff batter Matthew Russo ahead of a bunt single. Gabe Broadus then hit a run-scoring single up the middle for the game-winning run.
“It was unfortunate that we hit the kid and then they executed a bunt,” Deggs said. “Then it was one of the rare hits you’ll see off LP. They were able to get it done when it mattered, so credit those guys.”
Duncan Pastore led off the ninth with a single and pinch runner Maddox Mandino stole second, but three strikeouts ended the threat.
Reliever Colby Allen got the win after giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits, one walk and three strikeouts in two innings for Southern Miss.
Starter Nike Mazza stifled UL’s bats for seven innings, allowing only three hits, one walk and striking out three.
“Mazza was outstanding,” Deggs said. “He was able to dot up three or four pitches. It wasn’t a one-time thing. He commanded that thing from the jump and just could never find the barrel.”
Much like in game one, UL starter Chase Morgan gave up two early runs and then settled down. The freshman southpaw surrendered two runs on seven hits, one walk and struck out six in six innings.
Nick Monistere tripled home the first run for the Eagles in the second, and Slade Wilks singled home the second one with two outs in the third.
“C-Mo did a really good job for us on the bump, holding them to two like he did,” Deggs said. “He battled some command issues at times, but always seemed to bounce back. I thought we defended it well.”