HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Mississippi’s baseball team delivered an impressive performance against Miami on Sunday night, fueled by Joey Urban’s two home runs that brought in five runs. This explosive play led to a stunning 17-6 victory for the Golden Eagles, compelling a decisive winner-take-all game in the Hattiesburg Regional on Monday.
Southern Mississippi, with a formidable record of 47-15, is aspiring to secure a position in the super regionals for the third time in four years. Meanwhile, Miami, with a season record of 33-25, is vying for its fifth super regional appearance in the 26-year history of the format.
The game saw a remarkable nine-run surge for the Golden Eagles in the first inning. After notching up two runs, they quickly filled the bases with two outs. The subsequent three batters each contributed runs with singles, and Urban’s three-run homer solidified the early lead.
Urban didn’t stop there; he added another home run in the seventh inning, bringing in two more runs. In the ninth inning, Tucker Stockman’s three-run home run extended Southern Mississippi’s lead to 17-6.
Miami made an attempt to close the gap in the fifth inning with a two-run double by Jake Ogden, bringing their score to 10-4. Yet, they only managed to add one more run in the eighth inning, failing to catch up to the surging Golden Eagles.
The performance of Stockman and Carson Paetow was notable for Southern Mississippi, with each driving in three runs, while Ben Higdon and Jake Cook added strength to the lineup with three hits each.
Camden Sunstrom played a key role in securing the victory for Southern Mississippi, pitching 4 2/3 innings of relief and allowing only one unearned run, thus extending his record to 3-0. Miami’s starter, Tate DeRias, struggled on the mound, lasting only two outs and being charged with nine runs.