Box Score UNO-USM Box Score
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – No. 25 Southern Mississippi needed just one run on Sunday to completed a three-game sweep of the University of New Orleans, shutting out the Privateers 1-0 at Pete Taylor Park.
USM (27-8) put together three straight singles in the sixth inning, the last of which scored Marc Bourgeois to break open a scoreless tie and provide the hosts the lone run they would need on the day.
The lone run was enough to back up the pitching performance of Jonathan Thompson (4-0) and Collin Cargill. Thompson allowed just one hit, while striking out four in eight innings before Cargill did not yield a hit in the ninth inning for his fifth save.
The strong pitching effort by USM nullified 7 1/3 innings by Tyler Sanders (1-8), who made his return to the starting rotation for UNO (3-32) on Sunday after a week in the bullpen. Sanders scattered eight hits, while allowing one run in the game.
Blake LeBlanc picked up the lone hit for the Privateers in the contest, which lasted just 98 minutes.
LeBlanc's single in the fifth inning broke up a no-hitter that saw only Nolan Church and Chris Geronimo reach base. Church walked twice for the Privateers with Geronimo earning an appearance at first base after being hit by pitch.
Issac Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with one of the sixth inning singles to lead the Golden Eagles.
Sunday's contest was the final game of a two-month, 33-game road trip for the UNO baseball team. The Privateers will make their return home on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to face Nicholls.
