Following a one-run win in the series opener on Friday night, No. 18 Southern Miss came back on Saturday and made sure the second game of the series wasn’t nearly as stressful. The Golden Eagles faced some adversity early, but responded with a 10-run third inning and never looked back in a 16-7 win.
With their fifth consecutive win, the Golden Eagles improved to 31-12 (13-7), while the Jaguars fell to 25-18 (10-10). Southern Miss will go for its second straight Sun Belt series sweep on Sunday while also looking to complete a perfect week. Here’s how the Golden Eagles secured the series win at Stanky Field on Saturday.
Eags’ Offense Explodes in the Third
Southern Miss got off to a great start with the hero of Friday’s game, junior outfielder Davis Gillespie, hitting another three-run homer to give the Golden Eagles a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However, South Alabama came back with four runs in the bottom of the first and one more in the bottom of the second to take a 5-3 lead and end USM starter Camden Clark’s day early.
Things changed in a big way in the top of the third inning, though, as the Golden Eagles’ bats caught fire and plated 10 runs in the frame. Senior outfielder Ben Higdon got the rally going with a two-RBI single that tied the game at 5-5. Then, immediately following that at-bat, junior catcher Tucker Stockman, who has been on a tear this weekend, hit a go-ahead, three-run bomb 431 feet to center field to put Southern Miss up 8-5. It was Stockman’s sixth homer of the year…