By Staff
From combined reports
May 17, 2001
NEW ORLEANS Chad Rogers and Anthony Rawson held Houston to four hits as seventh-seeded Southern Mississippi upset the second-seeded Cougars 6-2 Wednesday in the opening game of the Conference USA Tournament.
The Golden Eagles (26-30), won despite matching a season-high with five errors.
They will play the winner of Wednesday's second game between third-seeded South Florida and sixth-seeded Louisville.
The Cougars (29-27) dropped into the losers bracket and will face the South Florida-Louisville loser on Thursday.
Houston's hit total matched its lowest of the season.
Rogers (6-6) got the victory after pitching 62/3 innings and yielding four hits and two runs, one earned. He walked one and struck out seven. Rawson pitched a perfect 21/3 innings for his sixth save.
"Chad kept us in the game early, even though we were struggling defensively," Southern Miss Head Coach Corky Palmer said. "We played well offensively, especially the last three innings, but it was Chad who kept us in it and I felt really comfortable with Anthony Rawson coming in at the point he did."
Cougars starter Keith Whatley (4-2) gave up eight hits and five runs, four earned, in 72/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Jared Grein yielded hits to the two batters he faced and Austin Faught pitched the final 11/3 innings and allowed two hits and a run.
The Golden Eagles took a 2-0 lead when Dusty Haley scored from third on a wild pitch by Whatley in the second and Allen Winningham hit an RBI-single in the third.
Houston scored a run on Chris Snyders RBI-grounder in the fourth, but Southern Miss made it 3-1 on Michael Artmans RBI-single in the fifth.
The Cougars got within 3-2 in the seventh on Michael Bourns RBI-double.
The Golden Eagles scored two in the eighth on Darren Welchs RBI-single and Clint Stoys RBI-double. They scored their final run in the ninth on Winninghams RBI-double.