Nicholls upsets No. 10 Southern Miss 3-2 to end 11-game winning streak

Nicholls State University edged No. 10 Southern Mississippi 3-2 Wednesday night at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Colonels snapped the Golden Eagles’ 11-game winning streak and improved to 7-8 this season.

Southern Miss opened the scoring with a solo home run from Matthew Russo, his third of the year. Starting pitcher Thomas Crabtree retired the first six Colonels he faced before allowing a solo shot to Nico Rijo-Berger, tying the game at 1-1.

In the seventh inning, Joey Urban tripled and scored on a mishandled throw by Nicholls catcher Clayton Pourciau. The Golden Eagles took a 2-1 lead. However, Nicholls responded in the fifth with two runs off Crabtree, including a key double from Jaxon Milam and a single from Keegan Giger that put the Colonels ahead for good.

Crabtree took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and a career-high eight strikeouts. Reliever Tyler Avery pitched 3 1/3 perfect innings to earn the win for Nicholls, while Cole Poirrier recorded his first save.

Southern Miss threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with one out, but couldn’t capitalize. The Golden Eagles fell to 11-2 overall and 3-1 in one-run games. They will continue their five-game homestand with a three-game series against North Alabama starting Friday at 6 p.m., according to school officials.

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