USM’s Lynch swats 2 grand slams Saturday in same game

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - University of Southern Mississippi senior third baseman Danny Lynch needed just about half a baseball game to post one the most remarkable days at the plate in Pete Taylor Park history.

Through five innings Saturday afternoon, Lynch became the first Golden Eagle to hit two grand slams in a game, tying a program record with eight RBIs, as the Golden Eagles rassled with the University of Louisiana in the final regular-season game of 2023 for both teams.

USM had hit two grand slams in a game before, with Matt Baltz and David Vilardi each going deep with the bases loaded in 1999 against Nicholls State University in Hattiesburg.

But Lynch became Saturday the first Golden Eagles to hit two grand slams in the same game.

Lynch’s first home run cleared the fence in right field and cleared the bases in the bottom of the first inning off Louisiana starter David Christie, tying the game, 4-4.

Reece Ewing, Christopher Sargent and Rodrigo Montenegro scored for the Golden Eagles.

Trailing 8-5 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Lynch homered with the bases loaded off Louisiana reliver Brendan Moody, giving USM a short-lived 9-8 lead against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Ewing, Montenegro and Dustin Dickerson scored on Lynch’s second home run.

Lynch became the fifth Golden Eagles to drive in eight runs in a single game, joining Slade Wilks (2023, James Madison University); Hunter Slater (2019, University of New Orleans); Tommy Davis (1994, University of Tennessee-Martin); and Fred Cooley (1988, Belhaven University.

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