Troy Baseball Rallies, Falls Late to Southern Miss

Sunday, March 2

Hattiesburg, Miss.

1:00 pm

Troy University

7-5

Southern Miss

6-6

Troy

Southern Mississippi

Troy Baseball Rallies, Falls Late to Southern Miss

3/2/2014 5:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Wes Johnson

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Troy University baseball team fought back from an early deficit but fell late to Southern Mississippi, 7-6, on Sunday at Pete Taylor Park.

Nick Masonia hit two home runs in the game and totaled three RBIs. Ben Tidwell pitched five innings in relief to help the Trojans stay in the game. Tidwell allowed two runs on four hits and struck out three.

Southern Miss (6-6) scored four runs in the first inning, but Troy responded with four of its own in the third. Tyler Vaughn walked to lead off the frame and advanced to third when Garrett Pitts extended his hit streak to six games and his reached base streak to 12 games with a double. Trevin Hall followed with a single to score the Trojans first run. Matthew Howard later reached on an infield single to score Pitts. Masonia then launched a two-run home run over the left field wall to tie the game, 4-4.

USM would pull ahead 5-4 in the fourth when Austin Roussel doubled and Michael Sterling singled him home.

Masonia would strike again in the eighth with a solo shot to left to tie the game. Clay Holcomb walked then advanced to second on a wild pitch. One batter later, Tyler Vaughn singled to left scoring Holcomb and handing the Trojans their first lead of the contest.

The Golden Eagles responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead for the final time. Marc Skinner (1-1) was saddled with the loss after entering the game in the eighth with a runner on first. Will Starling started the game on the mound for Troy and went two innings before being replaced by Tidwell.

The teams have played a three-game series the last four seasons with the home team winning the series each time.

Troy (7-5) will return home next week with a Tuesday night matchup against Samford before welcoming New Orleans for a three-game series over the weekend.