Three-Run Ninth Lifts Visiting Golden Eagles over South Alabama

Tuesday, May 3

Mobile, Ala.

6:30 pm

Southern Miss

35-10

South Alabama

24-19

Southern Miss

South Alabama

Three-Run Ninth Lifts Visiting Golden Eagles over South Alabama

5/3/2022 11:04:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. – Christopher Sargent keyed a three-run ninth with a two-run, go-ahead single with the bases loaded to lead No. 7 Southern Miss in a 6-4 come-from-behind victory over South Alabama Tuesday night at Eddie Stanky Field.

The Golden Eagles (35-10) finished a five-game road swing by going 3-2, while the Jaguars fell to 24-19 on the year and dropped the season's series to Southern Miss 2-1.

Down 4-3 in the ninth and with one out, both Gabe Montenegro and Dustin Dickerson singled. The single by Dickerson increased his current team-best hitting streak 13 games.

After Carson Paetow drew a seven-pitch walk, Sargent lined a 1-1 Seth Carter pitch through the left side to plate both Montenegro and Dickerson. After a second out, Danny Lynch – who had a team-high three hits – lined a pitch to left center to score Paetow and complete the scoring.

The Jaguars earlier erased a 3-0 deficit in the seventh with four runs. Matt Adams, who had limited the Jaguars to one hit over the first six innings, allowed a lead off single. After a couple of fly outs to right, Adams gave up consecutive singles with the second one coming from Hunter Stokes, who drove in USA's first run.

Adams was taken out of the game and Tyler Stuart entered and hit the only batter he faced. The Golden Eagles then went to the bullpen again for Drew Boyd who gave up a bases-clearing double to Diego Altimirano to give the home squad its first lead.

The first four innings proved to be a pitcher's duel between Matt Adams and South Alabama starter Walker Johnson as the duo combined to give up one hit each.

Adams registered a career high for both innings (6 2/3) and strikeouts (9) as he limited the Jaguars to that one hit through the first six innings. He did not walk anyone in his outing.

Southern Miss finally took the early lead in the fifth as Charlie Fischer started the frame with a ground-rule double to right. After a sacrifice bunt by Brady Faust, Gabe Montenegro tripled with a shot inside the first base bag into the right field corner.

The Golden Eagles could not add to its scoring as Dickerson followed with a foul out to the first base side that the Jaguar second baseman threw a strike to double up Montenegro at the plate to end the inning.

Southern Miss extended their lead to 3-0 one frame later with two more runs. After Sargent reached on a fielding error, Will McGillis then blasted a two-run homer over the left center wall ending USA's Johnson's night. McGillis blasted his 13th homer of the year.

Justin Storm, the fourth of five Golden Eagle pitchers retired four of the five batters he faced – he gave us a single while adding a strikeout – to earn the victory and improve to 1-0. Dalton Rogers worked around a pair of singles in the ninth with a strikeout to end the game in earning his fourth save.

Carter (0-2) took the loss for USA as he gave up three runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles return home this weekend when they play host to Old Dominion in a three-game Conference USA series. The series starts Friday with a 6 p.m., contest at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.