Late-inning surge helps Southern Miss avoid sweep
Published 7:21 pm Sunday, April 23, 2023
- Southern Miss' Dustin Dickerson slides across home plate to score a run in the eighth inning of Sunday's 15-7 win over Coastal Carolina. (Southern Miss Athletics)
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Southern Miss turned the offensive tables on Coastal Carolina on Sunday.
After giving up 35 runs in the first two games of the series, Southern Miss scored 15 of its own — including nine in the last two innings — to beat Coastal Carolina 15-7 and avoid a sweep.
Tate Parker went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored for Southern Miss (23-15, 11-7 Sun Belt Conference). He doubled in the tying run in the eighth inning, then scored the go-ahead run on a single by Matthew Etzel.
Etzel was 3-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Reece Ewing homered, drove in three runs and scored three.
Parker, Etzel and Slade Wilks also homered for the Golden Eagles.
Chad Born led Coastal Carolina (26-12, 13-5) with a double and four RBIs. The Chanticleers, who had overcome a four-run deficit earlier in the game, took a 7-6 lead into the eighth inning but couldn’t hold it.
Ewing started a five-run rally by reaching base on a dropped fly ball, then scored on Parker’s double to tie it at 7. Five consecutive batters, including Etzel with his go-ahead hit, reached base with two outs as the Golden Eagles took an 11-7 lead.
Wilks singled in two runs and Christopher Sargent had an RBI single as well.
Parker led off the ninth inning with a solo home run, and Wilks hit a two-run shot later on to push it to 15-7.