USM rallies past UConn as one Eagle adds to his legend and another potential star debuts
With another clutch performance Friday night, Gabe Montenegro continues to come through at the plate for the Southern Miss baseball team in some of its most important games.
Montenegro provided the jolt for a young USM lineup that’s still trying to find its footing through the early part of the season, leading the way in a 6-5 win over UConn in Hattiesburg.
Montenegro hit a solo homer just over the left field fence to start the game and provided a one-out, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth to lift the Golden Eagles to a come-from-behind win over the Huskies.
Montenegro finished 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, a homer and three RBIs as the Golden Eagles improved to 3-2.
Whether it’s the 2019 Conference USA Tournament or that year’s Baton Rouge Regional, the native of Guatemala consistently seems to be the Golden Eagle most likely to come up with the game-changing hit.
“It’s always amazing to be able to help out the team like that,” Montenegro said. “But I really don’t try to think about that when I hit. I just put as little pressure on myself as possible. I’m just excited to pull through.”
As USM coach Scotty Berry watched Montenegro at the plate in the eighth, he thought back to the redshirt junior’s big weekend in Baton Rouge two years ago when he was named the Co-Most Outstanding Player in the regional.
“His first at-bat and his last at-bat were two special at-bats,” USM coach Scott Berry said. “He got it going and tied it up in the first. When you think about that last at-bat, you think about ‘19 at LSU against Arizona State where he had a walk-off in a big moment of the game. Here’s been there for us many times. In the eighth, that was a great at-bat with two strikes.”
The eighth-inning rally started when three consecutive Golden Eagles reached base with one out — Gulfport native Blake Johnson on a walk, Michael Wein on a walk and Dustin Dickerson via a hit-by-pitch.
With a 1-2 count, Montenegro erased UConn’s one run lead with double into right field.
Garrett Ramsey debuts for Southern Miss
While Montenegro only added to his legend in Hattiesburg, Friday night’s game provided a possible glimpse at a new star in the USM bullpen.
Sophomore right-hander Garrett Ramsey, a transfer from Hinds Community College, entered the game in the ninth and struck out all three batters on 11 pitches in the top of the ninth for his first career save.
Against a pitcher who had not yet thrown at the Div. I level, the UConn batters appeared at a loss as to how to approach Ramsey.
“I came out there to do what I do, win with those sliders,” he said. “I kind of blacked out there at the end.
“As soon as he swung and missed, it was over. From there, I can’t even describe the feeling.”
Berry has been reluctant to name a closer with so many options out of the bullpen, but Ramsey showed that he could be a serious candidate for the role.
“He was really coming in with a low altitude fastball and a wipe-out slider,” Berry said. “It was three batters, three strikeouts. He’s the kind of guy you want to go to.
“He showed that to us in the fall and when he came back from Christmas. I loved his composure in his first time out there in a Div. 1 game. It was a big crowd. He was amped up. He was able to slow the game down and block out and do his thing.”
USM’s Hunter Stanley limits UConn
Senior right-hander Hunter Stanley wasn’t quite as dominant as he was in his first outing against Northwestern State, giving up five earned runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed three home runs on a night when a stiff wind was blowing out.
“He gave up three home runs, but they were all solos,” Berry said. “That’s what I told him after the game. I was proud of him to keep it at that. We could have been in a big deficit, but we were still in it because the homers were solos. We were able to get ourselves back into the game. He pitched really well against a very good offensive club in UConn.”
Sophomore lefty Ryan Och was strong in relief for USM, holding UConn scoreless for 1 1/3 innings.
USM’s three pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts and one walk to give the staff 70 strikeouts through the first five games of the season.
Also for USM, Chris Sargent was 1-for-3 with a pair RBIs and Reed Trimble was 1-for-4 with one RBI.
Pat Winkel, Christian Fedko and Chris Winkel each homered for the Huskies (1-2).
Game 2 of the series was set for 1 p.m. on Saturday at Pete Taylor Park with right-hander Ben Etheridge pitching for USM and right-hander Joe Simeone tossing for the Huskies.
This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 8:46 PM.
