Statement Made: Golden Eagles' 10-Run 3rd Inning Sparks Blowout Win vs. South Alabama

Following a one-run win in the series opener on Friday night, No. 18 Southern Miss came back on Saturday and made sure the second game of the series wasn't nearly as stressful. The Golden Eagles faced some adversity early, but responded with a 10-run third inning and never looked back in a 16-7 win.

With their fifth consecutive win, the Golden Eagles improved to 31-12 (13-7), while the Jaguars fell to 25-18 (10-10). Southern Miss will go for its second straight Sun Belt series sweep on Sunday while also looking to complete a perfect week. Here's how the Golden Eagles secured the series win at Stanky Field on Saturday.

Eags' Offense Explodes in the Third

Southern Miss got off to a great start with the hero of Friday's game, junior outfielder Davis Gillespie, hitting another three-run homer to give the Golden Eagles a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However, South Alabama came back with four runs in the bottom of the first and one more in the bottom of the second to take a 5-3 lead and end USM starter Camden Clark's day early.

Things changed in a big way in the top of the third inning, though, as the Golden Eagles' bats caught fire and plated 10 runs in the frame. Senior outfielder Ben Higdon got the rally going with a two-RBI single that tied the game at 5-5. Then, immediately following that at-bat, junior catcher Tucker Stockman, who is 5-for-9 at the plate so far this weekend, hit a go-ahead, three-run bomb 431 feet to center field to put Southern Miss up 8-5. It was Stockman's sixth homer of the year.

TUCKER 3-RUN BOMB IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIGGY’S 2-RBI SINGLE GIVES THE EAGS AN 8-5 LEAD. #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/YvC2Fs24VM
— Nasty Bunch & Beyond (@NastyBunchPod) April 25, 2026

Then, just to add some extra icing on top of the cake, senior first baseman Matthew Russo launched a grand slam 420 feet to right field to help the Golden Eagles blow the doors off this one with a 13-5 lead. It was the eighth home run of the year for "Bull," who is now two away from joining Gillespie, Joey Urban, and Kyle Morrison with double-digit home runs this season.

BULL GRAND SLAMMMMM AHHHHHHHHHHH. EAGS UP 13-5!!! #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/loPpAzUd90
— Nasty Bunch & Beyond (@NastyBunchPod) April 25, 2026

Overall, the Golden Eagles finished with 16 hits on the day. Every player in the starting batting lineup on Saturday got at least one hit, with Russo (3-for-5) and Higdon (3-for-5) leading the way with three apiece.

Sivley and the Rest of Eags' Bullpen Impress

With Clark running into some early trouble, senior LHP Kros Sivley (W, 4-2) took the mound in the second inning and impressed by giving up no runs and just two hits in 3.1 innings. The senior lefty also had a strong performance during Tuesday's walk-off win against Tulane at Pete Taylor Park. Just like the Golden Eagles' bats, Sivley's arm appears to be getting hot at the right time as well.

Drake Meeks, Logan Pratt, Sam Mitchell and Kevin Landry Farr each pitched one inning over the final four to finish out Saturday's game. They combined to give up just two runs on four hits and registered five strikeouts. Clark giving up five earned runs in just a little over one inning certainly wasn't on anyone's bingo card for this weekend, but crazy, unexplainable things happen in baseball sometimes, and the talented sophomore is still adjusting to his new role as a starting pitcher. Given what we've seen from Clark this season, it wouldn't shock us at all if he bounces back in a big way the next time we see him on the bump.

Odom Goes Yard!

In the top of the sixth inning, with the Golden Eagles holding onto an eight-run lead, junior catcher Lawson Odom, who was filling in for Stockman behind the plate on Saturday, got his first home run of the year, sending the ball 354 feet to the corner of right field. Odom showed a lot of emotion as he rounded the bases, and his teammates reciprocated that energy as he got to home plate and into the dugout.

https://t.co/CbLFzqr7Iy pic.twitter.com/ytj1pEjXWh
— Nasty Bunch & Beyond (@NastyBunchPod) April 25, 2026

The Southern Miss faithful, who have taken over Mobile this weekend, cheered arguably the loudest they had all game when Odom got that ball to go out of the park. With the Golden Eagles still looking for a player to step up and claim the designated hitter spot in the lineup full-time, perhaps Odom can use Saturday's 2-for-4 hitting performance as momentum in the final stretch of this season.

More Work to Do

While the Golden Eagles secured the series against South Alabama on Saturday, they should stay hungry and treat Sunday's game as if it's a rubber match. Southern Miss made a massive statement today, and that statement can be expanded with a second consecutive Sun Belt series sweep.

The Golden Eagles are now up to No. 6 in RPI and No. 6 in SOS. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more coverage following the final game of the series on Sunday. The game will begin at 1 p.m., and it will be streamed on ESPN+.

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