OXFORD, Miss. – Fourth-seeded Southeast Missouri (30-22) saw its 2021 season end with a 21-0 loss to second-seeded Southern Miss (38-20) Saturday in the NCAA Regional at Swayze Field.
Conference USA Pitcher of the Year Walker Powell combined on a four-hit shutout and USM had a season-high 24 hits and six home runs (three by Christopher Sargent) during the first meeting between the two teams in 18 years.
Bryce Grossius, after beginning his eighth start of the season with two scoreless innings, ran into trouble in the top of the third.
Dustin Dickerson drew a one-out walk, advanced to third on a single by Gabe Montenegro and scored the game's first run on a wild pitch. Reed Trimble followed with a base hit to left and Montenegro scored. Another single, this time by Charlie Fischer, gave the Eagles runners at second and third.
Shortly after
Kyle Miller relieved Grossius, Sargent reached on a fielder's choice and Trimble scored on a close play at the plate. Danny Lynch's two-out single brought home Fischer to put the Eagles ahead, 4-0.
USM stretched its lead with four more runs in the fourth inning.
Trimble delivered a one-out run-scoring single to plate Andrew Stanley and Montenegro scored on a sacrifice fly by Fischer. With two outs, Sargent hit a two-run home run to left giving USM an 8-0 advantage.
A two-run home run by Dickerson increased the Eagles lead to double-digits in the fifth.
USM hit two more round-trippers in the sixth. Sargent clubbed his second home run of the game over the center and Lynch cleared the right center wall.
Grossius (4-3) scattered four hits, allowed four runs and walked one in 2.1 innings. Miller struck out two and gave up four runs on five hits in 1.2 frames.
SEMO posted just four singles.
Tyler Wilber,
Danny Wright,
Peyton Leeper and
Connor Basler each had a hit. Basler broke the school's all-time career stolen base record when he took second with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. His 53 stolen bases surpassed Denver Stuckey (52, 2000-03) for the new mark.
Powell (10-2) struck out four, walked none and allowed four hits in six shutout innings. Once play resumed following an hour and 16-minute rain delay, Matt Adams pitched the rest of the way.
The Redhawks registered their 14th season with 30 or more wins in program history. SEMO won its fifth Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title, fourth OVC Tournament crown and made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time this 2021 season.
