Southern Miss was riding a seven-game winning streak before its Tuesday night game against Nicholls State in Metairie, Louisiana. Big performances at the plate from Gabe Montenegro, Hunter Slater and Bryant Bowen helped the team earn a 5-0 shutout win to extend the streak to eight games.
Montenegro opened the game with a single for the Golden Eagles, but it proved to be the only offensive action for the team During the bottom of the first inning, Southern Miss starting pitcher Jarod Wright grabbed back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
Southern Miss got on the board for the first time in the top of the third inning. Following a walk by Hunter Stanley, Montenegro and Matthew Guidry scored on Slater’s two-out RBI double to give Southern Miss a 2-0 lead.
During the top of the fourth inning, Bowen managed to score on a sacrifice fly by Danny Lynch to give the Golden Eagles a 3-0 lead.
After scoreless fifth, sixth and seventh innings for both teams, Bowen continued his hot streak in the top of the eighth inning with a two-RBI single which allowed Guidry and Slater to score and give Southern Miss a 5-0 lead.
Reliever J.C. Keys took over on the mound in the eighth inning and sealed the win for the Golden Eagles in the ninth inning with back-to-back strikeouts in the ninth inning.
Wright finished the game by allowing two hits and recording four strikeouts in four innings pitched. Sean Tweedy earned the win on the mound for Southern Miss and recorded a strikeout in one inning pitched. Aaron Ginn and Cody Carroll also logged one-inning appearances for the Golden Eagles.
Slater and Bowen finished the game with 2 RBIs each. Montenegro finished the game at the plate by going 2-for-4. As a team, Southern Miss outhit Nicholls State 7-3.
Southern Miss is now 16-6 overall on the season following the win. The team begins a three-game conference series on the road against UTSA on March 29 at 6 p.m.
