Golden Eagles win longest game in school history

Connor Barron sent the first pitch Southern Miss saw in Wednesday's game against South Alabama sailing over the right-center field fence.

But it was a 17th-inning walk, bloop single and walk-off hit that never left the infield – all with two outs – that gave the Golden Eagles a 7-6 victory at Pete Taylor Park. The contest, which lasted more than five hours, is the longest in Southern Miss history.

The win is Southern Miss' third in a row and improves the team's overall record to 25-16-1. South Alabama drops to 29-17.

"I'm just glad we came out on the winning end of it," Golden Eagle head coach Scott Berry said. "To plug away and find away to win that in 17 (innings) showed me a lot about our team and a lot about where we are right now."

Breck Kline got the Southern Miss rally started in the 17th inning by drawing a two-out walk against Justin Flores (0-2) after falling behind in the count 0-2. Tim Lynch followed with a single that dropped in front of the charging South Alabama center fielder and moved Kline to third base.

That's when Austin Roussel – also with two strikes - sent a dribbler toward first base. Flores and Jaguar first baseman Ben Gann converged on the ball before both deferring to the other, allowing Roussel to reach safely and Kline score the winning run.

"That's what's magical about baseball," Berry said. "You just never know."

Roussel said he was simply trying to put the ball in play.

"Our coaches always preach, 'Don't give in,'" said the senior catcher, who entered the game in the ninth inning as a pinch-hitter. "When I saw the first baseman come to get the ball, I said, 'This one might have a chance.' And when I saw him miss it, it was all smiles."

Berry: "It was a miscommunication, I think. I think the pitcher thought the first baseman would take it. Somebody with a better angle than me said there was kind of a crazy little spin on it that created some of that confusion. But it was simple pitchers fielding practice that we all do every day that broke it down.

"At the end of the day, Austin put the ball in play and created action and people have to make plays."

Kline, who entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch-runner for Chase Scott, also scored the game-tying run. The Golden Eagles coughed up a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth on a Nick Dawson error that allowed two runs to score.

Scott led off the bottom of the frame with a single and Kline scored on Chuckie Robinson's RBI single to knot things up at 6-6.

"When you play long games like this, little things are going to be what wins it at the end," Kline said. "Whether it's small ball or a sac fly. I guess a walk did it this time. But that's baseball. As long as you get the W at the end of the day."

Cody Livingston started on the mound for the Golden Eagles, tossing a pair of shutout innings before being lifted once he reached his pre-set pitch limit.

The Jaguars scored four times in the top of the third inning off Connor O'Brien to take a 4-1 lead. Bud Collura's two-run triple was the big blow for the visitors. Adam Ballew added a run-scoring triple.

After that, though, Southern Miss relievers didn't allow an earned run over the final 14 innings. Nick Johnson (1-0) picked up the victory, striking out four in two perfect innings.

Lynch led the way with three hits in seven at-bats. In addition to Barron's home run, freshman Taylor Braley homered for the third time this season.

Southern Miss returns to action at 6 p.m. Friday when it welcomes Marshall to Pete Taylor Park for the first of a three-game series.