HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Ben Higdon hit a three-run homer in the third inning to lead No. 22 Southern Miss to an 8-2 victory over Texas State on Friday night at Pete Taylor Park.
The Golden Eagles improved to 26-12 overall and 9-7 in Sun Belt Conference play, snapping a three-game losing streak. They tallied 11 hits, including two each from Higdon, Seth Smith, Matthew Russo and Drey Barrett.
Southern Miss scored six runs in the third inning, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 6-1 lead. Bobcat starter Wade Cooper hit Gray Eubanks to start the inning. After bunt singles by Smith and Joey Urban loaded the bases, Kyle Morrison’s sacrifice fly tied the game. Davis Gillespie followed with an RBI single, and Barrett doubled to score another run. Higdon then crushed a three-run homer off the videoboard in left center to extend the lead.
Morrison added a solo shot in the sixth, his 12th homer of the season, to make it 7-1. Texas State scored once in the second and once in the seventh, but Southern Miss responded with an eighth-inning RBI single by Smith. Smith extended his hitting streak to nine games.
Grayden Harris earned the win for Southern Miss, allowing two runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. Harris struck out six and walked two. Colby Allen retired the final eight batters to close out the game. Cooper, making his first collegiate start, took the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits over six innings.
The teams are scheduled to play again Saturday at 3 p.m. as part of Showcase Saturday at Southern Miss.
