Southern Miss couldn't have asked for a better weekend against Arkansas State. The Golden Eagles picked up a clean sweep of the Red Wolves in a weekend that was full of excitement.
Game 1: Southern Miss - 2 Arkansas State - 1
Friday night’s game may have not lit up the scoreboard, but it provided all the excitement necessary. Arkansas State got their one and only run thanks to a solo-shot home run in the 2nd inning. It didn’t take too long for Southern Miss to respond. In the 3rd inning, Ozzie Pratt picked up an RBI single that brought home Tucker Stockman to tie the game at one. While the scoring took a brief pause, JB Middleton put on a pitching clinic. Middleton had another strong day on the mound pitching seven strong innings, only allowing five hits, and one run to be allowed with six strikeouts. Another case of Pete Taylor Park magic was in store as in the bottom of the 9th. Matthew Russo walked it off for the Golden Eagles with his second walk-off of the season, and in what marked as the 33rd walk-off for Southern Miss since the 2017 season.
Game 2: Southern Miss - 8 Arkansas State - 0
Saturday’s night was more than alright for Southern Miss. In an evening where the Golden Eagles pitching staff combined for a complete game shutout of Arkansas State on the mound, only allowing one hit, Southern Miss made sure to take advantage of that by any means. The scoring picked up in the 3rd, as Carson Paetow knocked in a two-run shot that put Southern Miss ahead by two. In the following inning, the onslaught began for Southern Miss as Ozzie Pratt knocked in the first run of the 4th with a sac-RBI, Jake Cook followed up Pratt with a RBI single of his own to make it 4-0. Carson Paetow struck once more with a RBI double to make it six, before the scoring finished up in the 8th with another home run by Matthew Russo, as his two-run shot put on the finishing touches on Saturday.
Game 3: Southern Miss - 14 Arkansas State - 2
Sunday was arguably the most dominant performance by the Golden Eagles. Even though Arkansas State started off Sunday’s game with two runs in the 1st through a RBI single and a sac-RBI respectively, Southern Miss wasted no time responding in the following inning. The Golden Eagles scored a whopping six runs in the second inning, started off by an RBI single thanks to Carson Paetow that put Southern Miss behind 2-1. Following Ozzie Pratt being walked, Jake Cook knocked in two runs with an RBI single that gave Southern Miss their first lead on the day. The runs continued to come in as Nick Monistere got an RBI single of his own. Southern Miss again found themselves in another bases loaded situation later in the inning after Carson Paetow was walked again, that brought in Jake Cook to add along the fifth run of the inning, Drey Barrett was walked which brought in Nick Monistere to make it six. Southern Miss continued the thumping as an RBI single by Joey Urban made it seven in the fourth. Tucker Stockman crushed a ball out of the Pete with a three-run shot that marked the 16th straight game that the Golden Eagles have knocked a ball out of the park and made it a 10-2 ballgame. The pressure only continued from there as the 5th inning saw Joey Urban again knock in a RBI single along with Tucker Stockman helping the Golden Eagles extend their lead with a RBI single to make it 12-2. Matthew Russo helped put the finishing touches on Sunday afternoon with a two-run shot that marked his 15th home run of the season, and marked Russo having hit a home run in every game this series. That big fly helped sealed the deal for Southern Miss, as this marked the second sweep the Golden Eagles have had over a opponent, and third of the year.
Southern Miss will now see their biggest tests of the year ahead following this series. Even though the Golden Eagles currently sit on a nine game winning streak, two of the best teams in conference are up next with Louisiana this weekend in the home finale and at Troy before the SBC Tournament begins in Montgomery.
