‘We signed them for a reason.’ USM turns to youngsters to clinch key early series.
It’s still February, but there was a whiff of May in the air at Pete Taylor Park.
After losing the first game of the series on Friday, followed by an extra-inning win on Saturday, Southern Miss was looking to maintain early momentum by winning the rubber game of the series against Central Arkansas on Sunday.
The Golden Eagles passed the test with flying colors, defeating the Bears 8-6 to clinch the three-game series. Senior second-baseman Matthew Guidry drove in three runs and freshman Ben Ethridge went four strong innings in relief for the win.
“I think we’ve come out all seven games, and played all the way to the end,” Southern Miss coach Scott Berry said. “We’ve found ways to win, and today was about a series win, getting the momentum back in our favor by winning yesterday, then keeping it in our favor by winning today. That was the challenge we made before we took the field today, and those guys responded.”
USM (6-1) will take a load of confidence on the road this week as the Golden Eagles embark on a tough stretch that has them playing six games on the road in eight days, beginning Tuesday at Ole Miss.
“They’re just another team we have to prepare for,” said Guidry, who walked twice and was hit by a pitch to go with a key two-run single in the fifth inning.
“It’s an in-state rival thing, so it’s hyped up to be bigger than it is. But we just like to play baseball, so it could be anybody we’re playing. We’re going to go out with a lot of energy and have fun.”
Southern Miss jumped ahead of UCA (3-4) with a three-run rally in the bottom of the second. Sophomore DH Charlie Fischer hit the first pitch of the inning just over the leftfield fence for a home run.
Freshman rightfielder Fisher Norris followed with a double, and after the Golden Eagles loaded the bases, sophomore outfielder Hunter LeBlanc drove in two more runs with a single.
The Bears responded by scoring three runs in the top of the third, knocking out USM starter Chandler Best.
However, Ethridge, a righthander from West Lauderdale, came on to get out of the inning with just a run-scoring sacrifice fly. He went four full innings, scattered six hits, struck out six, did not walk a batter and hit one with a pitch for his first career victory.
“I wanted to go out and give it everything I had, no matter the situation,” said Ethridge. “Whenever somebody gets on base, I try to keep my mentality straight, keep from being emotional on the mound and keep attacking the zone.”
Ethridge showed off a full repertoire of pitches, including a biting curve ball that complemented a 90 mile an hour fastball.
“He’s a strike thrower,” said Berry. “He’s got a really good live arm that can really dot it from both sides of the plate.
“The biggest key with him was the ability to land some secondary pitches, and he was able to do that with his curve, and that made his fastball that much better.”
Ethridge was just one of many first-year players who have stood out so far for the Golden Eagles. Another was freshman shortstop Dustin Dickerson, whose two-run double with the bases loaded in the third inning put USM ahead to stay.
“We’re young, super young,” said Dickerson, who prepped at West Jones. “We’ve got six or seven guys who’ve never played a Division I game before this year. We’re just trying to slow everything down for everybody.”
However, it was the veteran Guidry — a three-year starter coming into this season — who provided the difference with his two-run single in the sixth, coming after he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in a run in the third.
Guidry drew a walk in the first, extending his streak of games reaching base to 63.
“I don’t know, it’s just doing whatever it takes to get on base,” said Guidry. “The goal is to score more runs than the other team, and you can’t score runs if you aren’t on base.”
UCA refused to roll over, though, and the Bears finally got to Ethridge in the seventh, scoring two runs with just one out. Freshman lefty Ryan Och — who has already earned some chops as a reliable arm out of the bullpen — got out of the inning without further damage.
Och allowed another run after a double by UCA leadoff batter Connor Emmet to open the eighth. Emmet was 3 for 4 for the Bears, and the first three batters in the Bears’ order were 9 of 12 with three walks and all six of their runs.
Once again, Och limited the damage by picking a runner off first base, then getting an inning-ending strikeout. Senior righthander Tyler Spring, a graduate transfer from Mississippi State, retired the Bears in order in the ninth for his first save of the season.
Berry knows he’s going to have to sink or swim with his youngsters, and so far, they’re swimming nicely.
“We signed them here for a reason,” said Berry. “We identified them as good players who could help us win and fit in our culture. You never know how a freshman is going to affect you team right off the bat, but we’ve had guys who’ve been thrown in the fire and they’ve responded.”
After Tuesday’s clash at Oxford, Southern Miss will travel to Lake Charles, La., for four games. The Golden Eagles will play Valparaiso on Friday and again early on Saturday, then they will take on host McNeese State later in the day Saturday and on Sunday.
USM completes its early road trip on March 4 against Mississippi State at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The next home series will be March 6-8 against Little Rock.