
Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Southern Miss Drops Middle Game of Series 6-3 to South Alabama Saturday Evening
3/29/2025 10:27:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Kyle Morrison had two hits and drove in three runs to lead South Alabama to a 6-3 Sun Belt Conference victory over No. 13 Southern Miss Saturday evening at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
The Golden Eagles (19-8 overall, 6-2 Sun Belt) saw their game start five hours later than originally scheduled due to expected rain in the area. The final and deciding game of the set will start at 3 p.m. Sunday due to more expected bad weather early in the day as well as the late Saturday evening start.
South Alabama (12-14, 2-6) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening inning on a run-scoring double from Lucas Ismaili.
Southern Miss then took its initial lead of the affair in the bottom half of the frame. With two outs, Davis Gillespie was hit by a pitch and Matthew Russo followed with a two-run home run to center. It was Russo's ninth homer of the campaign, marking the 14th consecutive game the team has hit a homer.
The visitors tied the game, 2-2, in the third on a Morrison sacrifice fly, before the Golden Eagles jumped out for the final time on a fourth-inning solo home run by Carson Paetow. It was Paetow's team-leading 10th blast.
After getting three innings from starter Kros Sivley, two from Josh Och and one from Brooks Willoughby, Southern Miss went to its preseason All-American Colby Allen to start the seventh, leading 3-2.
After getting a strikeout, Allen surrendered a single and then a two-run homer to Morrison and the Jaguars did not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest. In, fact, they added a solo insurance run in both the eighth and ninth innings.
Allen (3-2) surrendered four runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts to suffer the loss.
USA starter Mitchell Heer went 6 2/3 innings, retiring nine Golden Eagles in a row at one point to get the victory and up his mark to 3-0. He gave up three runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Jaxon Shineflew blanked the Golden Eagles for the final 2 1/3, giving up a hit and two walks with two strikeouts to each his second save.
Russo led the Golden Eagles with two hits.
The Golden Eagles (19-8 overall, 6-2 Sun Belt) saw their game start five hours later than originally scheduled due to expected rain in the area. The final and deciding game of the set will start at 3 p.m. Sunday due to more expected bad weather early in the day as well as the late Saturday evening start.
South Alabama (12-14, 2-6) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening inning on a run-scoring double from Lucas Ismaili.
Southern Miss then took its initial lead of the affair in the bottom half of the frame. With two outs, Davis Gillespie was hit by a pitch and Matthew Russo followed with a two-run home run to center. It was Russo's ninth homer of the campaign, marking the 14th consecutive game the team has hit a homer.
The visitors tied the game, 2-2, in the third on a Morrison sacrifice fly, before the Golden Eagles jumped out for the final time on a fourth-inning solo home run by Carson Paetow. It was Paetow's team-leading 10th blast.
After getting three innings from starter Kros Sivley, two from Josh Och and one from Brooks Willoughby, Southern Miss went to its preseason All-American Colby Allen to start the seventh, leading 3-2.
After getting a strikeout, Allen surrendered a single and then a two-run homer to Morrison and the Jaguars did not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest. In, fact, they added a solo insurance run in both the eighth and ninth innings.
Allen (3-2) surrendered four runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts to suffer the loss.
USA starter Mitchell Heer went 6 2/3 innings, retiring nine Golden Eagles in a row at one point to get the victory and up his mark to 3-0. He gave up three runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Jaxon Shineflew blanked the Golden Eagles for the final 2 1/3, giving up a hit and two walks with two strikeouts to each his second save.
Russo led the Golden Eagles with two hits.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mitchell Heer (3-0)
L: Allen, Colby (3-2)
S: Jaxon Shineflew (2)
Batting:
2B: Lucas Ismaili 1 ; Ty Brooks 1
HR: Kyle Morrison 1
RBI: Kyle Morrison 3 ; Lucas Ismaili 1 ; Mike Young 1 ; Ty Brooks 1
SH: Mike Young 1 ; Rett Johnson 1
SF: Kyle Morrison 1
Base Running:
RUNS: John Smith 2 ; Kyle Morrison 2 ; Duncan Mathews 1 ; Ty Brooks 1
SB: Brennan Holt 1 ; Duncan Mathews 1
CS: Brennan Holt 1 ; Rett Johnson 1

Batting:
HR: Russo, Matthew 1 ; Paetow, Carson 1
RBI: Russo, Matthew 2 ; Paetow, Carson 1
SH: Stockman, Tucker 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gillespie, Davis 1 ; Russo, Matthew 1 ; Paetow, Carson 1
HBP: Gillespie, Davis 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
Players Mentioned
True Grit: Final Episode
Friday, October 20
Episode 1: War Damn Golden Eagle
Tuesday, August 22
Episode 5: Battle for the Belt
Thursday, August 17
Episode 4: Battle for the Belt
Saturday, August 12