Sunday, April 16
Pete Taylor Park
11:30 a.m.
Southern Miss
22-12, 10-5
15
vs
2
James Madison
20-15, 5-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
James Madison
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
3
2
Southern Miss
3
3
4
0
5
0
X
15
15
2
Wilks Homers Twice, Drives in Eight to Lead Southern Miss in 15-2 Run-Rule Victory Sunday
4/16/2023 3:06:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Designated hitter Slade Wilks homered twice and tied a school record with eight RBI to lead Southern Miss to a 15-2 seven-inning, run-rule victory over James Madison Sunday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field in completing a three-game Sun Belt sweep.
The Golden Eagles (22-12 overall, 10-5 Sun Belt) scored in four of six offensive frames as they completed their first-ever, three-game sweep in Sun Belt play.
The top four hitters for the Golden Eagles, Matthew Etzel, Dustin Dickerson, Wilks and Christopher Sargent, combined to go 12-for-16 with 14 runs and 12 RBI in the contest. Dickerson enjoyed the team's second four-hit game of the season, increasing his current hitting streak to 14 games, tying his career-best mark.
After the Dukes scraped together a run in the top of the first, Southern Miss scored three runs in the bottom of
the frame. Etzel and Dickerson singled to open the frame and Wilks drove in his first run with a sacrifice fly. The Golden Eagle eventually loaded the bases, and Rodrigo Montenegro drove home another run on a walk. Nick Monistere completed the inning scoring with an RBI single.
The Golden Eagles added three more tallies in the second frame. Etzel opened the frame by being hit by a pitch. He then stole second before scoring on a single by Dickerson through the right side.
Sargent then drove in a run on a fielder's choice before the third run was plated following a Reece Ewing single and subsequent error.
Up 6-1, Southern Miss scored four more times in the third. Etzel and Dickerson singled to open the frame before Wilks homered over the center field wall. Christopher Sargent immediately followed with a home run of his own off the left field fair pole.
The duo of Wilks and Sargent then again homered back-to-back two innings later with Wilks hitting the team's first grand slam since May of 2022, and Sargent registering his second two-homer game of the year. Wilks now has a team-high 14 home runs, while Sargent has six, now giving him 43 for his career which ties him with Tommy Davis (1992-94) for sixth on the Golden Eagle career homer chart.
After allowing the run in the opening inning, Southern Miss starter Niko Mazza settled down and gave up just one hit and two walks over the next four innings to get the victory and improve to 4-1.
Both Isaiah Rhodes and Chandler Dawson tossed an inning in relief.
JMU starter Ryan Murphy surrendered five runs on five hits over an inning-plus with two walks and a strikeout to suffer the loss for the Dukes (20-15, 5-8) and fell to 3-2.
The Golden Eagles now return to the road for the first of five-straight game starting Tuesday at Louisiana Tech. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
The Golden Eagles (22-12 overall, 10-5 Sun Belt) scored in four of six offensive frames as they completed their first-ever, three-game sweep in Sun Belt play.
The top four hitters for the Golden Eagles, Matthew Etzel, Dustin Dickerson, Wilks and Christopher Sargent, combined to go 12-for-16 with 14 runs and 12 RBI in the contest. Dickerson enjoyed the team's second four-hit game of the season, increasing his current hitting streak to 14 games, tying his career-best mark.
After the Dukes scraped together a run in the top of the first, Southern Miss scored three runs in the bottom of
the frame. Etzel and Dickerson singled to open the frame and Wilks drove in his first run with a sacrifice fly. The Golden Eagle eventually loaded the bases, and Rodrigo Montenegro drove home another run on a walk. Nick Monistere completed the inning scoring with an RBI single.
The Golden Eagles added three more tallies in the second frame. Etzel opened the frame by being hit by a pitch. He then stole second before scoring on a single by Dickerson through the right side.
Sargent then drove in a run on a fielder's choice before the third run was plated following a Reece Ewing single and subsequent error.
Up 6-1, Southern Miss scored four more times in the third. Etzel and Dickerson singled to open the frame before Wilks homered over the center field wall. Christopher Sargent immediately followed with a home run of his own off the left field fair pole.
The duo of Wilks and Sargent then again homered back-to-back two innings later with Wilks hitting the team's first grand slam since May of 2022, and Sargent registering his second two-homer game of the year. Wilks now has a team-high 14 home runs, while Sargent has six, now giving him 43 for his career which ties him with Tommy Davis (1992-94) for sixth on the Golden Eagle career homer chart.
After allowing the run in the opening inning, Southern Miss starter Niko Mazza settled down and gave up just one hit and two walks over the next four innings to get the victory and improve to 4-1.
Both Isaiah Rhodes and Chandler Dawson tossed an inning in relief.
JMU starter Ryan Murphy surrendered five runs on five hits over an inning-plus with two walks and a strikeout to suffer the loss for the Dukes (20-15, 5-8) and fell to 3-2.
The Golden Eagles now return to the road for the first of five-straight game starting Tuesday at Louisiana Tech. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mazza, Niko (4-1)
L: Murphy, Ryan (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Trimble, Fenwick 1
RBI: Dunaway, Mason 1 ; Novak, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Trimble, Fenwick 1 ; McDonald, Aidan 1
SB: Novak, Kyle 1
Batting:
HR: Wilks, Slade 2 ; Sargent, Christopher 2
RBI: Dickerson, Dustin 1 ; Wilks, Slade 8 ; Sargent, Christopher 3 ; Montenegro, Rodrigo 1 ; Monistere, Nick 1
SF: Wilks, Slade 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Etzel, Matthew 4 ; Dickerson, Dustin 4 ; Wilks, Slade 2 ; Sargent, Christopher 4 ; Paetow, Carson 1
SB: Etzel, Matthew 2 ; Sargent, Christopher 1
HBP: Etzel, Matthew 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
4
H
4
RBI
1
AB
3
R
4
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
4
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
8
Players Mentioned
RHP
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