Ben Higdon Ignites Big Rally in 8th as No. 11 Southern Miss Defeats App State

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – For whatever reason, Friday nights have been the most inconsistent nights for No. 11 Southern Miss so far this season. Heading into their Sun Belt series against Appalachian State at Pete Taylor Park on Friday night, the Golden Eagles had just a 3-3 record on Fridays.

After being down 5-2 heading into the eighth inning, it seemed as if Southern Miss might end up with its fourth Friday loss. However, the Golden Eagles made good use of some patented "Pete Taylor Park Magic" to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, winning 6-5. With the win, the Golden Eagles improved to 20-6 (4-3), while the Mountaineers dropped to 12-12 (2-5).

Higdon Starts Scoring as Eags Rally in the Eighth

As the Golden Eagles came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth, the patrons of The Pete were doing everything they could to will their team to victory. Inside-out hats and chants of "Pete Taylor Park Magic!" were seen/heard throughout The Roost and 16oz Lounge ... and it apparently worked on this night.

Following a single by senior first baseman Matthew Russo and a walk by sophomore third baseman Drey Barrett, senior outfielder Ben Higdon, who made his return to the lineup after dealing with some hamstring tightness over the last few games, started the scoring party by driving in one run with a double. That cut the Golden Eagles' deficit to 5-3, and they weren't done.

With Barrett at third, he was able to score after junior shortstop Seth Smith reached on an App State fielding error, cutting the deficit to 5-4. Then, a big sacrifice fly by senior pinch hitter Caleb Stelly, followed by another App State fielding error that scored sophomore pinch runner Ty Long, gave the Golden Eagles a 6-5 lead. It was the first game all season that Southern Miss was able to win while trailing after seven innings.

"Man, it felt good to get things started for the boys," Higdon told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI. "Having Russo and Barrett set the tone that inning, and me being able to continue it was great. So many heroes, so much maturity from Stelly there getting that job done. Just big at-bats all around. Thanking God I could get out there and help the boys, for sure. Huge credit to our training staff and coaching staff, getting me out there in such short time. Also had nothing to do with the health, but huge creds to my boys from home keeping me in shape mentally.

"Huge win for our team. These are the types of wins that can really turn a season and offense around and kill that mid-season lull."

Allen, Clark Shut the Door on App State

USM — Matt Bush/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After getting off to a hot start with no runs given up and just 14 pitches thrown through the first two innings, sophomore LHP Grayden Harris ran into some trouble in the third inning, as App State was able to take advantage of a lead-off walk, a sacrifice bunt, a couple of singles, and a double to take an early 3-0 lead. As great as Harris has been, there's been some weird vibes surrounding the Golden Eagles' Friday night starters so far this season, and they're still working through it. Harris finished the night with four strikeouts, seven hits, and five runs given up in 5.1 innings.

Senior RHP Colby Allen, who recently moved back to the bullpen after experiencing some of the same things as the Friday night starter to begin this season, came into the game in the sixth inning and registered two strikeouts with just one hit and no runs given up in 2.2 innings of action. Allen received the win, pushing his record to 2-1.

Sophomore RHP Camden Clark made his signature entrance into the game in the top of the ninth to finish off App State, and he did just that with three consecutive strikeouts to end the game. Clark continues to establish his standing as one of the best closers in the nation, as he has a 0.00 ERA through 15.1 innings in 13 appearances this season.

Sunny Saturday Next

The Golden Eagles will now go for the series win on Saturday with sophomore RHP Camden Sunstrom on the bump. Through 28.1 innings pitched in 10 appearances this season, Sunstrom has registered 32 strikeouts and a 2.22 ERA with a 2-1 record.

On the other side, the Mountaineers will start Gage Peterson, who has a 3-0 record with 47 strikeouts and a 1.35 ERA in six appearances this year. We'll see if Southern Miss can carry over its momentum from Friday night's dramatic finish.

Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more baseball coverage throughout the weekend.