HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Another strong start for the Southern Miss baseball team came back to haunt the University of Evansville on Saturday afternoon as the Golden Eagles piled up six runs over the course of the opening four innings to down the Aces 9-2 at Pete Taylor Park.
 
"We faced a very good pitcher who shut us down today," UE head coach Wes Carroll said. "We need to rebound tomorrow with a better defensive effort in order to get out of here with a win tomorrow."
 
USM (5-1) scored in each of those four innings, and due to an error in all but one of those frames, only three of the six runs surrendered by UE starter Patrick Schnieders ultimately went down as earned. The senior right-hander dropped to 0-1 on the year after giving up six hits and walking three. He also racked up six strikeouts.
 
The Aces (1-5) would grab a run back with a Kenton Crews single to left in the third, and a bases-loaded walk from Matthew Jones plated another in the sixth before Golden Eagle reliever Nick Sandlin entered the game to strike out Korbin Williams and Jimmy Day to end the threat.
 
Crews, who had moved to the lead-off spot in the line-up, finished 2-for-4 at the plate. Stewart Nelson enjoyed the same statline, and Jones was the only other player with a hit.
 
USM responded in the bottom half of the sixth with three runs to stretch the lead out to 9-2.
 
Hunter Slater and Bryant Bowen each had three hits to lead the Golden Eagles, who out-hit the Aces 11-5 overall. Kirk McCarty (2-0) picked up the win, allowing four hits and striking out eight over 5.1 innings.
 
The Aces have now dropped both of its series this season. The team will return to action on Sunday with the series finale at 1 p.m. Justin Hayden, who toed the rubber for last Sunday's UCA win, is slated to make his return to the mound.
 
 
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