HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Luke Waters homered twice to help Old Dominion Baseball build a 4-0 lead, but No. 22 Southern Miss scored eight runs in the bottom of the eighth for an 11-4 final on Saturday night at Pete Taylor Park.
The Monarchs (4-12, 0-2 Sun Belt) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kyle Edwards walked to start the game and two batters later Waters won a seven-pitch battle with a two-run home run to center field.
ODU manufactured another run in the second as Tanner Schaedel walked and moved up to second base thanks to a Jack Slater sacrifice bunt. After Brody Connors flew out to right field, Edwards reached on a USM throwing error, which allowed Schaedel to race home for the 3-0 lead. Waters then led off the third inning with a deep fly to left to push ODU’s lead to 4-0.
The Golden Eagles (14-5, 2-0) responded with a Carson Paetow two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth. USM had runners on first and second with one out in the fifth when ODU lifted Dylan Brown for Bailey Matela, and the Norfolk, Virginia native came up big with back-to-back strikeouts.
Ben Moore came out of the bullpen in the sixth and retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a double to right field. The runner reached third on a wild pitch, but Moore got the batter looking to preserve the 4-2 lead.
Southern Miss inched closer in the seventh as a Matthew Russo sac fly to center field cut the Monarch lead to 4-3. Later with one out in the home half of the eighth inning, Joey Urban and Tucker Stockman both singled before Drey Barrett put the Golden Eagles in front, 5-4 with a two-RBI double to left. The hosts kept their foot on the gas, plating another six runs on a Jake Cook single to right center, a couple of doubles by Russo and Nick Monistere, and a two-run homer by Paetow.
Moore falls to 0-2 after giving up eight runs on nine hits. He walked one batter and had three strikeouts in 2.2 innings in relief. Brown held the Golden Eagles to two runs on four hits and two walks. He recorded six strikeouts in a 4.1-inning start.
It was the second career multi-home run game for Waters, who finished 2-for-4 on the night. He also homered twice in a 19-1 win over Fordham on Feb. 26, 2023. Kainen Jorge went 2-for-3 with a walk, Edwards (1-for-4) scored a run and had one base on balls, and TJ Aiken (1-for-4) swiped one bag.
Sunday’s series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. EDT start.