University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Russo's Ninth-Inning RBI Single Lifts Southern Miss over UNO 3-2
4/7/2026 9:58:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Matthew Russo singled up the middle, scoring Joey Urban in the bottom of the ninth, to lead No. 10 Southern Miss to a 3-2 walk-off victory over New Orleans Tuesday night at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
The Golden Eagles (24-9) enjoyed their 37th walk-off victory since the start of the 2017 season as it also marked the fourth walk-off win for Southern Miss this season.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the ninth, pinch hitter Caleb Stelly started the frame with a nine-pitch at bat, but fanned to open the inning. Urban then walked and Seth Smith put down a perfect bunt in front of home plate to put two runners on. After a Kyle Morrison strikeout, Davis Gillespie drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Russo then worked a 2-2 count and hit a Lane Alack pitch back up the middle past the Privateer second baseman to collect the game winner.
Down 2-0 in the contest, the Golden Eagles scored solo runs in both the second and sixth innings to tie the game.
Ben Higdon opened the second with a double down the left field line and scored a batter later when Drey Barrett knocked in the run with a single up the middle.
Barrett then doubled in the tying run in the sixth, scoring Morrison who opened that frame with a walk and went to second on a Russo single.
New Orleans (14-21) started the game off Golden Eagle starter Drake Meeks with both of their runs coming off him in the first. Meeks opened the game by alternating strikeouts and walks over the first four batters. He then allowed a wild pitch to move both runners up into scoring position before Evan Rogers plated both runs with single up the middle. Meeks then surrendered two more singles to load the bases, before the Eagles went to JW Armistead in the bullpen, and he got a strikeout to end the frame and leave the bases loaded.
Armistead and five subsequent Southern Miss pitchers kept the Privateers off the board for the remainder of the contest with Colby Allen throwing the final three innings, giving up two hits and two walks with three strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 3-1 on the year.
The Privateers had 15 runners stranded in the contest.
Alack threw the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed a run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts to suffer the loss and fall to 0-3.
The Golden Eagles improved to 8-2 in one-run games for the year.
Southern Miss returns to action this weekend when they travel to Lafayette to face Sun Belt foe Louisiana in a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m.
The Golden Eagles (24-9) enjoyed their 37th walk-off victory since the start of the 2017 season as it also marked the fourth walk-off win for Southern Miss this season.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the ninth, pinch hitter Caleb Stelly started the frame with a nine-pitch at bat, but fanned to open the inning. Urban then walked and Seth Smith put down a perfect bunt in front of home plate to put two runners on. After a Kyle Morrison strikeout, Davis Gillespie drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Russo then worked a 2-2 count and hit a Lane Alack pitch back up the middle past the Privateer second baseman to collect the game winner.
Down 2-0 in the contest, the Golden Eagles scored solo runs in both the second and sixth innings to tie the game.
Ben Higdon opened the second with a double down the left field line and scored a batter later when Drey Barrett knocked in the run with a single up the middle.
Barrett then doubled in the tying run in the sixth, scoring Morrison who opened that frame with a walk and went to second on a Russo single.
New Orleans (14-21) started the game off Golden Eagle starter Drake Meeks with both of their runs coming off him in the first. Meeks opened the game by alternating strikeouts and walks over the first four batters. He then allowed a wild pitch to move both runners up into scoring position before Evan Rogers plated both runs with single up the middle. Meeks then surrendered two more singles to load the bases, before the Eagles went to JW Armistead in the bullpen, and he got a strikeout to end the frame and leave the bases loaded.
Armistead and five subsequent Southern Miss pitchers kept the Privateers off the board for the remainder of the contest with Colby Allen throwing the final three innings, giving up two hits and two walks with three strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 3-1 on the year.
The Privateers had 15 runners stranded in the contest.
Alack threw the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed a run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts to suffer the loss and fall to 0-3.
The Golden Eagles improved to 8-2 in one-run games for the year.
Southern Miss returns to action this weekend when they travel to Lafayette to face Sun Belt foe Louisiana in a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m.
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