University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Friday, April 17
Pete Taylor Park
6 pm
Southern Miss
26-12, 9-7
8
vs
2
Texas State
25-13, 9-7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Southern Miss | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 8 | 12 | 1 |
Six-Run Third Lifts Baseball over Texas State 8-2 Friday Night
4/17/2026 9:10:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Ben Higdon homered to cap a big six-run, third inning to help lift No. 22 Southern Miss to an 8-2 Sun Belt Conference victory over Texas State Friday night at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
The Golden Eagles (26-12 overall, 9-7 Sun Belt) snapped a three-game losing streak as they recorded 11 hits in the contest, including two each from Higdon, Seth Smith, Matthew Russo and Drey Barrett. Texas State (25-13, 9-7) dropped their third game over the last four contests.
Down 1-0 in the third, Bobcat starter Wade Cooper plunked Gray Eubanks to open the frame. After consecutive bunt singles by Smith and Joey Urban to load the bases, Kyle Morrison then hit a sacrifice fly to left to tie the score. Davis Gillespie then followed with an RBI single, before Barrett doubled to left to plate a third run. Higdon then finished the scoring with a three-run homer off the videoboard in left center, his third of the year, to give the Golden Eagles a 6-1 advantage.
Kyle Morrison extended the lead to 7-1 two innings later by belting his 12th homer of the year to deep center field.
The Bobcats, behind three hits from Clayton Namken, tripled in the visitor's first run in the second and then scored in the seventh on an RBI fielder's choice by Rashawn Galloway.
The Golden Eagles plated the final game's final run on an RBI single by Smith in the eighth. Smith extended his current team-best hitting streak to nine games.
Southern Miss starter Grayden Harris limited the Bobcats to two runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings to earn the victory and improve to 7-1. Colby Allen retired the final eight hitters to end the game.
Cooper, who was making his first collegiate start for the Bobcats, suffered the loss as he allowed seven runs on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts over six innings of work to fall to 4-1.
The two teams return to action Saturday at 3 p.m., as part of Showcase Saturday on the Golden Eagle campus.
The Golden Eagles (26-12 overall, 9-7 Sun Belt) snapped a three-game losing streak as they recorded 11 hits in the contest, including two each from Higdon, Seth Smith, Matthew Russo and Drey Barrett. Texas State (25-13, 9-7) dropped their third game over the last four contests.
Down 1-0 in the third, Bobcat starter Wade Cooper plunked Gray Eubanks to open the frame. After consecutive bunt singles by Smith and Joey Urban to load the bases, Kyle Morrison then hit a sacrifice fly to left to tie the score. Davis Gillespie then followed with an RBI single, before Barrett doubled to left to plate a third run. Higdon then finished the scoring with a three-run homer off the videoboard in left center, his third of the year, to give the Golden Eagles a 6-1 advantage.
Kyle Morrison extended the lead to 7-1 two innings later by belting his 12th homer of the year to deep center field.
The Bobcats, behind three hits from Clayton Namken, tripled in the visitor's first run in the second and then scored in the seventh on an RBI fielder's choice by Rashawn Galloway.
The Golden Eagles plated the final game's final run on an RBI single by Smith in the eighth. Smith extended his current team-best hitting streak to nine games.
Southern Miss starter Grayden Harris limited the Bobcats to two runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings to earn the victory and improve to 7-1. Colby Allen retired the final eight hitters to end the game.
Cooper, who was making his first collegiate start for the Bobcats, suffered the loss as he allowed seven runs on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts over six innings of work to fall to 4-1.
The two teams return to action Saturday at 3 p.m., as part of Showcase Saturday on the Golden Eagle campus.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harris, Grayden (7-1)
L: Cooper, Wade (4-1)
Batting:
3B: Namken, Clayton 1
RBI: Galloway, Rashawn 1 ; Namken, Clayton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mora, Chase 1 ; Namken, Clayton 1
Batting:
2B: Barrett, Drey 1
HR: Higdon, Ben 1 ; Morrison, Kyle 1
RBI: Higdon, Ben 3 ; Barrett, Drey 1 ; Gillespie, Davis 1 ; Smith, Seth 1 ; Morrison, Kyle 2
SF: Morrison, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Urban, Joey 1 ; Higdon, Ben 1 ; Russo, Matthew 1 ; Barrett, Drey 1 ; Gillespie, Davis 1 ; Smith, Seth 1 ; Eubanks, Gray 1 ; Morrison, Kyle 1
HBP: Eubanks, Gray 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
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LHP
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