Nicholls Upsets No. 10 Southern Miss, Snaps Golden Eagles' 11-Game Win Streak

Southern Miss hadn't lost since Opening Day, but Nicholls has been a thorn in the Golden Eagles' side over the last three years.

Camden Sunstrom takes the mound for Southern Miss vs. Nicholls on Wednesday night at Pete Taylor Park. / @SouthernMissBSB

Following a thrilling, emotional win over No. 4 Mississippi State on Tuesday night, No. 10 Southern Miss had to quickly turn its attention to a Wednesday night matchup with Nicholls at Pete Taylor Park. Although the Colonels came into the game with just a 6-8 record, they've had the Golden Eagles' number over the last three years.

In yet another game that was close all the way until the end, Southern Miss saw its 11-game win streak come to an end with a 3-2 loss. It was the third time in four games dating back to 2024 that Nicholls has defeated Southern Miss. With their first loss since Opening Day, the Golden Eagles fell to 11-2 on the year, while Nicholls improved to 7-8.

"Credit Nicholls right there," Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander said following the game. "They did it, they earned that win. They got some hits when they needed to, some execution, and their pitchers, I thought, did a tremendous job of mixing and keeping our guys in between.

"We didn't show enough discipline there to just grind out some at-bats, in my opinion–something we've been showing. ... It's something we've gotta learn from, for sure."

Eags' Bats Cool Down

The Golden Eagles were 0-7 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday night. / @SouthernMissBSB

Overall, the Golden Eagles' pitching staff, which consisted of senior RHP Thomas Crabtree, sophomore RHP Camden Sunstrom and senior RHP JW Armistead, pitched well enough to give their team several chances to win the game. However, the offense just didn't have it on this night.

Aside from a solo home run from senior first baseman Matthew Russo in the bottom of the first inning, which gave Southern Miss an early 1-0 lead, the Golden Eagles' bats were quiet on Wednesday night. The only other run Southern Miss added came in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Russo reached on a fielder's choice, and senior outfielder Joey Urban scored off a Nicholls fielding error, giving the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead.

However, in the top of the fifth, the Colonels came right back and took a 3-2 lead on the Golden Eagles due to a fielding error by Russo on a Nicholls sacrifice bunt. With the Colonels having a base runner on third, Russo was trying to get the ball to home plate to prevent the tying run, but the ball squeezed past his glove on the turf. Nicholls then took a 3-2 lead on a single soon after that it never surrendered

Moment of the Game

The Colonels were able to shut down the Golden Eagles' bats on Wednesday night at The Pete. / @Nicholls_BSB

The Golden Eagles' best shot at winning this one came in the bottom of the eighth, as a pair of singles by junior catcher Tucker Stockman and senior outfielder Ben Higdon, as well as a hit-by-pitch for Urban, loaded the bases with just one out.

Unfortunately for Southern Miss, the bases were left loaded after a Russo strikeout and a groundout from junior outfielder Davis Gillespie ended the frame. On the night, the Golden Eagles were 0-7 with runners in scoring position.

On to the Next

A general overview of the game between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Mississippi State Bulldogs at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on March 3, 2026. / Matt Bush/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Although it was a disappointing loss for the Golden Eagles, especially after they played well enough to take down a Top-5 team the night before, it's not the end of the world. As much as Southern Miss fans might hate to hear it, this team was never going to go the rest of the season with just one loss. Although head coach Christian Ostrander would never use it as an excuse, the Golden Eagles were playing their fifth game in six nights, which could explain the lack of hitting.

An 11-game win streak is something these guys can hang their hats on, and now they'll just have to start a new win streak on Friday, as Southern Miss hosts North Alabama for a weekend series at The Pete. As Coach Oz says, "the next game is the most important game." It's on to the next for the No. 10 Golden Eagles.

“We don’t like getting beat here. We don’t like getting beat at all,” Coach Oz said. “I hope they are pissed off about it, and I look forward to seeing their response on Friday.”