Southern Miss advanced to the Conference USA Tournament semifinals with a 9-3 victory over USF Friday in game 10 action at Pete Taylor Park. A quartet of Golden Eagles had three hits a piece as the Southern Miss offense pounded out a tournament-high 17 hits in the victory. Rightfielder David Steele, one of the four with three hits, had a team-high two RBI. Marc Maddox, Jason Lowery and Chris Matesich also had three hits for the Golden Eagles. Brad Owen improved to 4-1 after allowing three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work.

HOUSTON 6, EAST CAROLINA 4
Fifth-seeded Houston scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, before holding off a late bottom of the ninth rally by fourth-seeded East Carolina, to win 6-4, in game nine of day three action of the Conference USA Tournament, sponsored by POWERade, today at Pete Taylor Park.

With the win, Houston improves to 29-29 overall, while East Carolina falls to 35-24. Houston’s victory was also the first win by a higher seed in the tournament.

Matt Farrington (8-5) got the win for Houston, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing six hits and three runs, while walking one and striking out four. Justin Vaclavik earned his 12th save of the season, getting the final out to end the game. Ricky Brooks (5-5) took the loss for East Carolina, lasting seven innings, allowing 11 hits, four runs, three earned, while striking out six.

Houston took a 1-0 lead in the first. Travis Tully started the inning with an infield single to second base, and went to second on a throwing error by Pirate second baseman Dale Mollenhauer. Kevin Roberts followed with a single to center, advancing Tully to third. After Brad Lincoln popped out, Tully came home on a RBI single by Dustin Kingsbury.

The Cougars added a run in the second. Bryan Tully led off with a single to right and went to second on a single by Bryan Pounds. Tully and Pounds went to third and second respectively on a wild pitch by Pirate starting pitcher Brooks, before Tully came home on a RBI groundout by Chris Joseph, giving Houston a 2-0 lead.

East Carolina tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second, thanks to a two-run home run to left by Mike Grace, his eighth of the season.

The Pirates took their first lead of the game in the fifth. Billy Richardson singled to third to start the inning and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brett Lindgren. A groundout by Brian Cavanaugh advanced Richardson to third, and he then scored as Mollenhauer reached on a error by Cougar third baseman Pounds, to make the score 3-2.

Houston re-took the lead with two runs in the seventh. With two outs, Brett Logan reached on an infield single and scored on a RBI double by T. Tully. Tully then scored on a RBI double to center by Roberts, giving the Cougars a 4-3 advantage.

The Cougars added a single run in the eighth. East Carolina switched pitchers to Kevin Rhodes to start the inning, but Kingsbury greeted him with a lead off home run down the left field line, his sixth of the year, giving Houston a 5-3 advantage.

East Carolina had a golden opportunity to get closer, as Mollenhauer led off the inning with a triple down the right field line. Following a strikeout by Mark Minicozzi, Adam Witter reached on a fielder’s choice, but Mollenhauer was thrown out trying to score on the play.

Houston got another insurance run in the top of the ninth. With two outs, Roberts walked. Following a Pirate pitching change to Scott Andrews, Lincoln walked, before Roberts scord on a RBI single to right by Kingsbury.

East Carolina rallied in the ninth. Mike Grace reached on a fielding error by Cougar second baseman Roberts on a ball that went under his glove. Following two strikeouts, pinch hitter Jamie Ray had a bloop single to center field, which sent Grace to third. Cavanaugh then had an RBI infield single that scored Grace, to make the score 6-4. Mollenhauer followed with an infield single to third, which loaded the bases. Following a Houston pitching change to Justin Vaclavik, he got Minicozzi to hit into a fiedler’s choice, forcing Mollenhauer out at second base to end the game.

Kingsbury had three hits and three RBI to lead Houston, while T. Tully and Roberts also added three hits. Grace had two RBI for East Carolina, while Mollenhauer had to hits for the Pirates.

SOUTHERN MISS 9, USF 3
Third-seeded Southern Miss scored two runs in the fifth and sixth innings, as it eliminated sixth-seeded USF 9-3, in game 10, the final game of day three action in the 2005 Conference USA Tournament sponsored by POWERade at Pete Taylor Park tonight.

With the win, Southern Miss improves to 41-18, while USF falls to 33-31. The Golden Eagles pounded out a tournament high 17 hits, compared to eight for USF.

Brad Owen (4-1) got the win for Southern Miss, pitching seven innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out five. Tyler Perrett pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit while striking out three. Ty Pyror (5-4) took the loss for USF, lasting 4.2 innings, allowing seven hits, six runs, five earned, walking three.

Southern Miss took a 3-0 lead in the first. Trey Sutton doubled to shallow right field to start the inning, advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Coker. Marc Maddox then singled to second, scoring Sutton. After Brad Willcutt fouled out to first, Jason Lowery walked, before David Steele connected on a bloop RBI single to center, scoring Maddox from second. Following a walk by Trey Cuevas which loaded the bases, Lowery scored on a passed ball by Bull catcher Brad Karns, to give the Golden Eagles a 3-0 lead after one inning of play.

The Golden Eagles added a run in the second. Chris Matesich doubled down the right field line to start the inning and scored on a RBI by Sutton, who reached on a error by Bull second baseman Joey Angelberger, to make the score 4-0.

USF cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the third, thanks to a three run home run by Angelberger, his fourth of the season.

Southern Miss got two runs in the fifth to extend its lead to 6-3. With one out, Maddox walked and following a pop out by Willcutt, went to third on a single through the left side of the infield by Lowery. Maddox then scored on a RBI single to left field by Steele, advancing Lowery to third. Following a pitching change to Chase Lirette, Cuevas greeted him with a RBI single to left, scoring Lowery, as the Golden Eagles took a three-run advantage.

The Golden Eagles got another run in the sixth. Sutton led off the inning with a double to right and scored on a RBI double by Coker to left field. Coker went to third on a single to left by Maddox, before scoring on a deep RBI sacrifice fly to right by Willcutt, giving Southern Miss an 8-3 advantage.

Southern Miss got its final run in the ninth, as Matesich had an RBI single that scored Steele, who led off the inning with a single to left.

Steele had two RBI to lead Southern Miss, while Matesich, Steele, Lowery and Maddox each had three hits. Angelberger had three RBI to lead USF, while Brad Hierlmeirer had three hits for the Bulls.

Southern Miss will now play TCU at 12:30 p.m., on Saturday. The Golden Eagles must defeat the Horned Frogs twice on Saturday, to advance to Sunday’s championship game. If there is a second game, it will begin at 7:30 p.m.


The championship game of the tournament on Sunday, May 29 will be televised by affiliates of the Conference USA Television Network and CSTV: College Sports Television. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

2005 Conference USA Baseball Tournament
Presented by POWERade
(Hattiesburg, Miss.)

Wed., May 25
Game One
(4) East Carolina 6, (5) Houston 5
Game Two
(1) Tulane 8, (8) UAB 6
Game Three
(2) TCU 4, (7) Louisville 2
Game Four
(3) Southern Miss 5, (6) USF 3

Thu., May 26
Game Five
Houston 7, UAB 5
Game Six
USF 11, Louisville 1
Game Seven
Tulane 16, East Carolina 3
Game Eight
TCU 8, Southern Miss 0

Fri., May 27
Houston 6, East Carolina 4
Southern Miss 9, USF 3

Sat., May 28
Game Eleven
Tulane vs. Winner Game Nine 3:00p
Game Twelve
TCU vs. Winner Game Ten 6:30p
Game Thirteen (if necessary)
Same teams as game 11 3:00p
Game Fourteen (if necessary)
Same teams as game 13 6:30p

Sun., May 29
Championship Game
C-USA Television Network/CSTV 1:00p