Matthew Russo Drives in Career-High Six Runs to Complete Sweep of Georgia Southern; Win Sun Belt Regular Season Crown

Saturday, May 16

Pete Taylor Park

1 pm

Southern Miss

40-14

Georgia Southern

16-40

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Georgia Southern	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1
Southern Miss	5	1	1	0	0	1	0	3	11	14	0

The Team tips their caps to the fans after the regular season finale

Matthew Russo Drives in Career-High Six Runs to Complete Sweep of Georgia Southern; Win Sun Belt Regular Season Crown

5/16/2026 4:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score 2026 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament Bracket

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Matthew Russo drove in a career-high six runs, including a game-ending three-run home run in the eighth, as No. 8 Southern Miss run-ruled Georgia Southern 11-0 in eight innings to complete a three-game Sun Belt Conference sweep Saturday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field. The win, coupled with a Coastal Carolina 3-2 loss at Louisiana, earned the Golden Eagles the 2026 Sun Belt Conference regular season title.

The Golden Eagles (40-14 overall, 22-8 Sun Belt) finished league play going 14-1 over their last five series and as they also won for the ninth time in a row and for the 20th consecutive regular season game in the month of May. It marked the school's first regular season conference championship in baseball since collecting the 2022 Conference USA title. The Golden Eagles open the tournament Wednesday at 4 p.m., and will play the lowest remaining seed of Tuesday's play-in games featuring No. 7 Louisiana versus No. 10 Marshall (3 p.m.) or No. 8 Old Dominion versus No. 9 Georgia State (6:30 p.m.).

Russo, along with Kyle Morrison, had three hits to lead the Golden Eagle 14-hit attack. It was Russo that highlighted a five-run first inning for Southern Miss with a two-run double. Seth Smith opened the game for the home team with a solo home run to right for his fourth of the year and Drey Barrett added a two-run long ball, his seventh, later to complete the inning's scoring as they chased Georgia Southern starter Alex Mason after getting only two outs.

Mason suffered the loss to fall to 3-5 as he allowed five runs on four hits with a walk and a strikeout.

Davis Gillespie added to the Golden Eagle lead in the second with an RBI groundout, before Ty Long drove in a run with a double in the third to make the score 7-0.

Russo then drove in the final four runs for the Golden Eagles with an RBI single to right in the sixth and then his three-run homer to right center that went 412 feet to end the game in his final collegiate regular season at bat at home.

Golden Eagle starter Camden Sunstrom (6-3) limited the Eagles to no runs on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts to earn the victory. Josh Och threw a scoreless frame and Colby Allen blanked the visitors for two innings, coming up with five strikeouts, as the Golden Eagles notched their third shutout of the season.

The Golden Eagles will next play Wednesday at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament slated for Montgomery, Ala. The tournament bracket is slated to be announced later Saturday evening after the conclusion of the day's games.