ROUND ROCK, Texas — No. 20 Southern Miss beat Baylor 5-1 Sunday at Dell Diamond, finishing a three-game sweep at the Round Rock Classic. The Golden Eagles (6-1) have won six straight games, including victories over Purdue, No. 11 Oregon State, and Baylor.
Southern Miss took the lead in the second inning, scoring two runs after three walks and a hit-by-pitch from Baylor starter Cade Hansen. The last walk came with the bases loaded, allowing Lawson Odom to drive in the first run. Seth Smith then hit a sacrifice fly to push the score to 2-0.
The Bears responded in the third, cutting the lead to 2-1 on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, but Southern Miss added to their lead in the fourth. Smith singled, then scored on a groundout by Joe Urban. The Golden Eagles sealed the game with two runs in the ninth, including a run-scoring single by Smith after a wide throw during a pickoff attempt.
Kros Sivley earned the win in relief, allowing two hits and striking out three over three innings. JW Armistead recorded his first career save. Hansen took the loss for Baylor, giving up three runs on six hits over four innings.
Matthew Russo led Southern Miss with three hits, while Drey Barrett, Kyle Morrison, and Smith contributed multiple hits. Brayden Buchanan paced Baylor with two hits in the game. Southern Miss returns home Tuesday to face Alabama at Pete Taylor Park, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.
