Southern Miss claimed its Sun Belt Conference series over Appalachian State University, winning two of three games at Pete Taylor Park behind a late rally Friday and a dominant offensive performance Sunday.
The series began with the comeback of the Golden Eagles’ victory, scoring four runs in the eighth inning to erase a 4-2 deficit.
Matthew Russo sparked the rally with a leadoff single, and after a walk to Drey Barrett, Ben Higdon delivered an RBI double to cut the lead to one. With the bases loaded, App State committed a key error on a ground ball by Seth Smith, allowing the tying run to score.
Pinch hitter Caleb Stelly followed with a sacrifice fly to even the game before Joey Urban reached on another misplayed grounder, bringing home the go-ahead run.
Camden Clark sealed the win by striking out the side in the ninth for his fifth save. Colby Allen earned the victory in relief with 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
App State built its early lead with three runs in the third and added two more in the sixth, but defensive miscues proved costly late.
The Mountaineers answered in game two to even the series, using a pair of three-run innings to secure a 6-2 win.
Southern Miss took an early 1-0 lead in the first when Russo drove in Urban after three walks loaded into the bases. However, App State starter Gage Peterson limited the damage and settled in.
The Mountaineers broke through in the sixth, stringing together hits to tie the game before back-to-back doubles from Jalen Seward and Jake Mummau drove in three runs and gave App State control.
Southern Miss got within 4-2 in the fourth on an RBI single by Davis Gillespie, but the offense stalled. App State added two more runs late, while the Golden Eagles finished with just six hits and stranded 11 runners.
Game three, Southern Miss responded with its most complete performance of the weekend, rolling to a 13-4 win to clinch the series.
The Golden Eagles broke the game open with a six-run second inning. After consecutive doubles by Gillespie and Russo, Gray Eubanks added an RBI single before Urban launched a grand slam to left field to make it 6-0.
App State cut the lead to 6-3 in the top half of the inning, but Southern Miss answered again, highlighted by a two-run single from Eubanks to extend the lead to 8-3.
The offense kept rolling, with additional runs coming on a sacrifice fly, an RBI double from Seth Smith, and two home runs from Kyle Morrison, a solo shot in the sixth and a two-run blast in the eighth. Morrison now has 10 home runs in the season.
On the mound, Southern Miss relied on its bullpen to maintain control after the early innings. Colby Allen stood out with three scoreless innings and seven strikeouts.
The Golden Eagles were back at Pete Taylor Park on Tuesday, March 31, matching up against Southeastern Louisiana.
