HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Old Dominion fell in game one of the 2016 Conference USA Baseball Championship to third-seeded Southern Miss, 17-5, on Wednesday night at Pete Taylor Park. The sixth-seeded Monarchs fell to 32-23 overall, while Southern Miss improved to 37-18 on the year. The tournament is not over for the Monarchs, however, as they have one more chance tomorrow at 1:30 ET against either No. 7 FIU or No. 2 Marshall.
Southern Miss jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the opening frame after the Golden Eagles recorded five hits, including a three-run home run by Daniel Keating. The Monarchs responded with a vengeance, scoring five runs in the top of the second to take the lead. Kyle Beam started the scoring with his fourth home run of the year to pull ODU within two runs (4-2). With two runners on base, Zach Rutherford then knocked his first out of the park home run of his career, sending Nick Lustrino and Nick Walker home to put the Monarchs ahead by one run (5-4).
The Golden Eagles put up four runs over the next three innings, while holding ODU scoreless, to take the lead back from the Monarchs (8-5). Southern Miss first baseman Tim Lynch hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, the third for the Golden Eagles this season, to burst open the lead for USM (12-5). USM added four more runs in that inning to hold a 16-5 advantage over ODU heading into the sixth. The game ended after the seventh inning with a 17-5 score, after the Monarchs could not comeback from the 12 run deficit. Due to Conference USA rules, if a team is leading by 10+ runs after seventh complete innings, the game ends.
Beam is the only Monarch to record two hits, while four other players recorded one hit. Starting pitcher Victor Diaz was hit with the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits. Dylan Burdeaux led the Golden Eagles with three hits and three runs scored, while Keating recorded two hits and a game-high five RBIs. Jake Winston earned the win, pitching 4.0 innings with three strikeouts.
The Monarchs return to Pete Taylor Park tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. ET against either No. 7 FIU or No. 2 Marshall. The game will be broadcast on STAR 1310 with Ted Alexander and Doug Ripley on the call. Each game of the championship from Wednesday through Saturday will be also streamed live on the C-USA Digital Network. The championship game of the tournament on Sunday, May 29 will be televised live by CBS Sports Network beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
ODU| 050 000 0 - 5 6 1
USM| 420 281 X - 17 17 1
ODU| Victor Diaz, Joey Benitez (2), Brett Smith (4), Jake Josephs (5)
USM| Cord Cockrell, Jake Winston (2), Luke Lowery (6), Clay Tageant (7)
Win| Jake Winston (7-1)
Loss| Victor Diaz (6-4)
Save| None
ODU Notes
|| Victor Diaz pitched his shortest start of the year (1.1 IP). His previous was three innings in a 5-4 win at West Virginia.
|| The five runs in the second inning marked the 20th time this year ODU has scored 4+ runs in one inning.
|| Rutherford’s home run was the first out of the park home run of his career, as his first homer came by way of an infield hit to center field against FAU at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex on April 2, 2016.
|| The two home runs by the Monarchs is the sixth time the team has hit 2+ home runs in a game this year.
|| The 12-run margin of defeat was the worst ODU has experienced in a postseason game since the 2001 CAA Tournament where the Monarchs lost 15-2 to JMU.
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