The FIU bullpen allowed one run over eight innings against the top hitting team in Conference USA. The FIU bats got key hits and help from a couple of Southern Miss wild pitches to defeat the Golden Eagles, 5-2, Friday night at the FIU ballpark.
With the win, FIU (27-27, 14-15 Conference USA) took the series from No. 13 Southern Miss (36-17, 20-9 C-USA) and goes for the sweep Saturday morning.
FIU starter Chris Mourelle was scheduled to throw just one inning Friday as a tune-up for his start at the Conference USA tournament next week. Mourelle allowed one run and two hits before the FIU bullpen stifled the Eagles' hitters the rest of the night.
Nate Pearson, Frank Chacon (1-2), Willy Fabra, Robby Kalaf and Alex Demchak combined to allow one run against USM, which is hitting .305. The quintet of relievers secured the Panthers' fifth consecutive win. Demchak recorded his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
USM scored first when Dylan Burdeaux led off the game with a solo home run to left off Mourelle. It was Burdeaux's team-leading 11th round-tripper of the season. FIU responded in the bottom of the first with a double by Eddie Silva and an RBI single by Nick Day. Both hits came off Eagles starter Kirk McCarty (6-1).
The Panthers took the lead for good in the bottom of the second inning. Silva's sacrifice fly scored Irving Lopez with the go-ahead run. Lopez reached base on a fielder's choice and moved to third base after Jack Schaaf singled and Kolby Follis walked. Schaaf came home on a single by Rey Perez to make it 3-1.
FIU scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings thanks to a pair of wild pitches. Silva singled and later scored on a wild pitch by McCarty in the fourth. Lopez singled and later scored on a wild pitch by Nick Johnson in the fifth.
Schaaf was 3 for 4. Silva, Perez and Lopez each had two hits.
The series finale is at 11 a.m. Saturday from the FIU ballpark. The game can be seen on PantherVision and heard on the FIU Sports Radio Network.
