Southern Mississippi’s impressive nine-run first inning paved the way for a decisive rubber match tomorrow, as they triumphed over the Canes with a final score of 17-6.

Southern Mississippi leveled the playing field with an impressive nine runs in the first inning, setting the stage for a decisive showdown tomorrow. Miami entered tonight’s game with numerous advantages, including the fact that the Eagles had just played a previous match while we enjoyed a well-rested bullpen, and we had the momentum of an outstanding hitting performance from yesterday. Our ongoing concern, as it has been throughout the season, revolved around the reliability of our pitching. Unfortunately, the clarity came early in the first inning: neither Tate DeRias nor the bullpen provided the support we hoped for, resulting in a series of letdowns.

The Eagles faced a considerable challenge today, entering the game with the knowledge that they needed to win three consecutive matches to advance. In contrast, Miami, fresh off a decisive victory against Columbia, only required a win tonight to secure their spot in the Super Regional. Setting their sights on this demanding objective, the Eagles launched an aggressive assault in the first inning, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring nine runs on seven hits, stunning the Miami crowd before they even had the opportunity to bat. Faced with an uphill struggle to regain momentum, the Canes managed to narrow the gap to five runs, scoring four runs in the fifth inning. However, the Eagles swiftly countered with seven unanswered runs over the final three innings, as our bullpen struggled to contain the damage. JD, aiming to preserve the dwindling pitching resources for tomorrow, resorted to using a position player, Brandon DeGoti, who could only go 19 pitches before giving up a pair of walks, a sacrifice fly, and a 3-RBI home run.

Tate, who has been struggling lately in his starting role, got off to a rough start with an opening pitch single. From there, things quickly went downhill as the Eagle batters relentlessly attacked with hit after hit. JD finally decided he had seen enough after the 35th pitch, following a three-RBI home run, realizing that tonight was not going to be his night.

The one thing JD did not want to use was diving deep into the BP conserving arms for tomorrow. Jake Dorn and Jackson Cleveland lasted six innings in relief following the Tate debacle, but in the 7th inning, the Eagles launched their second attack with 7 runs in the final three innings, which required an additional 4 pitchers to stop the bleeding, leaving the bullpen not in the shape JD would have wanted for tomorrow’s game.

After an explosive nine-run first inning, the Eagles kicked off the second inning with a home run. The Canes quickly answered back with a solo home run from Tanner Smith. No additional runs until the fifth inning when the Miami bats finally ignited, reminiscent of their impressive performance the night before. They batted around, amassing four runs on four hits, narrowing the gap to 10-5. However, as swiftly as their offense surged, they struggled to maintain that momentum, managing just one run in the eighth inning while their pitching faltered, surrendering seven runs.

The offensive performance was not as strong as the previous night, with only two players achieving multiple hits: Tanner Smith went 2-for-4 with a home run, and Michael Torres also went 2-for-4. After a remarkable batting average of .432 the night before, the team faced reality with a current average of just .263. In contrast, the Eagles demonstrated their power at the plate, batting .361 and hitting four home runs.

Tomorrow brings a quick turnaround with a 12:05 first pitch. It’s all or nothing, and I’m guessing we’ll go with Reese Lumpkin. It’s all hands on deck, and JD can’t afford to hesitate in making a pitching change or risk putting us in a position we can’t recover from. The bats need to show the same form as they did against Columbia and must stay focused throughout the game.