USM baseball holds off La.-Monroe, 8-5, Friday night

MONROE, La., Miss. (WDAM) -Jake Cook and Carson Paetow each collected four hits Friday night as the University of Southern Mississippi held off the University of Louisiana-Monroe at Lou St. Amant Field.

No. 19 Golden Eagles banged out 18 hits against the Warhawks, but stranded 12 baserunners.

USM (16-6, 3-1 Sun Belt Conference) led for the bulk of the game after breaking a 1-1, first-inning tie with a run in the second.

But after carrying a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, but had to survive a trio of bases-loaded walks, as La.-Monroe (9-12, 1-3) pulled within 5-4.

But Cook had an RBI-single in a two-run eighth inning, and after the Warhawks got back within 7-5 with an unearned run in their half of the inning, Seth Smith scored the olden Eagles’ final run on a bases-loaded walk.

Paetow hit a solo homer, a triple and single, scoring three runs and driving in two.

Cook, who had a double and three singles, scored twice and drove in a run.

JB Middleton (4-1) picked up the win, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings. He walked, struck out four.

Colby Allen picked up his sixth save of the season, allowing just one hit and an unearned run over the final 2 2/3 innings of the game.

Louisiana-Monroe managed seven hits, all singles, against four Golden Eagle pitchers. Isaiah Walker and Henry Garcia Jr. had two singles each.

Landon Grigg (0-5) was tagged for 10 hits, charged with only four runs over 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

The teams will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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