Army edged by Southern Mississippi in Pitchers Dual
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - A lack of run support was the difference in the Army West Point baseball team's loss to host Southern Mississippi in the first game of the Hattiesburg Regional on Friday afternoon, as the fourth-seeded Black Knights were defeated 2-0.
Army (31-24) used just three arms to limit the top-seeded Golden Eagles (44-16) to one earned run while holding the team to two-runs-or-less for just the 10th time in 60 games.
The 2022 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year gave the Black Knights a great start on the bump, as Connelly Early tossed 6.0 innings while scattering seven hits, issuing four walks and fanning eight batters.
Sam Ruta led the Cadets at the plate, where he went 2-for-4. Nick Manesis (1-for-3) and Cam Cerruto (1-for-3) accounted for Army's two additional knocks.
In a game that marked the start of the team's fourth-straight appearance at an NCAA Regional, the Black Knights were pitted against a First Team All-American in right-handed pitcher Tanner Hall. Both he and Early were dealing in their respective starts, as just four total batters reached in the opening three frames.
The fourth was interesting for both sides. In Army's half, Ruta and Manesis reached with back-to-back singles, recording the team's first hits, though both were left stranded. Southern Mississippi also threatened to do damage during the frame and loaded up the bases with one out, but Early killed the opportunity with a two-straight punchouts.
Both of the Golden Eagles' runs were scored in the following two innings, as an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth and a fielding error in the sixth put them ahead at 2-0. Army stranded three runners during the stretch.
After pitching a quality start, Early was relieved by Trevor Finan who retired the side to end the seventh. Steven Graver tossed the eighth, matching Finan's appearance by recording three-straight outs.
Army made one final push to get on the board in the top of the ninth when Nick Manesis brought the tying run to the plate by drawing a two-out walk, but the Cadets were unable to get anything going. The senior was the only baserunner to reach for either side in the last three innings of the matchup.
Coach's Corner
"That was two studs on the mound going back and forth. I'm really proud of this guy [Connelly Early] for matching what the Southern Miss. pitcher was doing. [Tanner Hall] is one of the best arms in the country. His numbers show it. But Connelly went head-to-head with him. This was a great pitchers duel. It could have easily been a zero-zero game going into the seventh. Army showed its typical grit and determination and I couldn't be more proud of these guys for their effort. We just need to execute a little better. We don't see [that kind of pitching] every day. I wish we could've gotten into our game plan a little more and put pressure on the other team. But they were dominant ... I'm proud of this team and we look forward to playing tomorrow." - Head Coach Jim Foster
Cadet's Corner
"That was big-time ... I told [Connelly] 'lock it in'. I knew he just had to minimize and do the best he could. I kind of just tried to guide him through it. I had all of the faith in him and the rest of the staff. He went and executed pitches ... The momentum swing there to get us back into the dugout and get the wheels turning helped us get runners on base. We were trying to do something with the bats." - Cam Cerruto on Early ending the fourth-inning threat
What's Next
Army will advance to the loser's bracket game at 1 p.m. EST on Saturday, June 4 where it will face off against either No. 2 LSU or No. 3 Kennesaw State. The game between the Tigers and the Owls is scheduled for a 7 p.m. EST start on Friday evening.
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