BILOXI — Conference USA’s Pitcher of the Year Nick Sandlin allowed four hits in a complete-effort Thursday to lead the No. 17 and top-seeded Southern Mississippi baseball team to a 2-0 victory against eighth-seeded Alabama-Birmingham in the opening round of the C-USA Championship at MGM Park.
The junior right-hander struck out 12 and walked one in a 118-pitch effort for the Golden Eagles (40-15).
“He understands what his job is, and that’s to keep the opposition from scoring,” USM coach Scott Berry said. “We’re just grateful that he was able to take the mound (Thursday) and that we were able to scratch a couple of runs for him.
“The storyline (Thursday) was Nick Sandlin and his ability to take the mound and dominate.”
Sandlin (9-0) notched his third shutout of the season and second against the Blazers. In two outings against UAB, Sandlin limited the Blazers to 10 hits and three walks while striking out 21.
Sandlin tied the C-USA postseason mark for the third-most strikeouts in a tournament game while moving into fourth place on USM’s single-season strikeout list with 135.
USM left-hander Stevie Powers was expected to start the first game of the tournament against the Blazers (21-32), which had been scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. But weather delays Wednesday pushed the game to Thursday, and put Sandlin on track to make his 14th start of the season.
“Found out last night,” Sandlin said. “With all the rest and setting up for next week (NCAA postseason), we just decided I was going to throw.”
UAB left-hander Ryan Ruggles (2-4) and right-handed reliever Ryan Wesson gave USM all it could handle. Ruggles allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, while walking three and striking out four. Wesson allowed one hit in three shutout innings. He struck out four.
“They really battled us,” Berry said. “They gave us fits. Their pitchers did an outstanding job pitching out of innings and really minimizing.”
USM, which posted 40 wins in a season for the third-consecutive year, scored its first run in the second inning, without benefit of a hit. All-C-USA outfielder Matt Wallner walked, went to second on an error, third on a hit by pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly.
The Golden Eagles made it 2-0 in the sixth. After right fielder Mason Irby and third baseman Luke Reynolds singled and Wallner walked to load the bases, first baseman Hunter Slater singled sharply to right field.
But USM could not take advantage, as Wesson came in to shut down the rally, and USM could get little going after.
Sandlin was in trouble just twice. In the second, UA first baseman Thomas Johns doubled off the left-field wall and catcher Stephen Dobbs singled to shortstop. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base and Sandlin hit third baseman Price Visintainer to load the bases.
But Sandlin struck out the next two Blazers to escape the inning.
Sandlin retired the next 12 batters before allowing a leadoff single in the seventh. He promptly got a double-play grounder and a groundout to third base and looked locked in to go the distance.
Sandlin worked around a hit batter in the eighth inning, and had to dodge a two-on, one-out situation in the ninth. But Sandlin got his last strikeout and then a pop out to end the game.
“The goal is to try and help save the bullpen for the rest of the tournament, and I was lucky enough to keep the pitch count down for the first five or six innings, and after that, I realized I’d be trying to go the distance,” Sandlin said.
USM will face fifth-seeded UTSA at 12:30 p.m. Friday.
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