Southern Miss rallies to beat James Madison 8-5 with sixth and seventh-inning surge

HARRISONBURG, Va. — The University of Southern Mississippi’s baseball team scored six runs in the seventh inning to rally past James Madison 8-5 Friday night at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Golden Eagles (36-14, 17-8 Sun Belt) extended their winning streak to four games and have won 10 of their last 12 contests. Drey Barrett led the offense with a home run, a double, and two RBIs, while Matthew Russo added two hits and two RBIs.

Southern Miss trailed 5-2 entering the seventh but sent nine batters to the plate in the rally. Ty Long opened the inning with a walk. Seth Smith followed with a walk, and Joey Urban singled to load the bases. Davis Gillespie’s walk brought in a run, and Russo’s two-run double gave the Golden Eagles their first lead of the night. Barrett then hit a 406-foot homer to left-center to cap the scoring and secure the win.

The Dukes (20-28, 10-15 Sun Belt) took an early lead with a run in the second and added two more in the fourth. They extended their lead to 5-2 with two runs in the fifth, chasing starter Grayden Harris, who pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed five runs.

Josh Och (5-2) earned the victory for Southern Miss, while Colby Allen notched his second save. JMU reliever Jaden Kinsler (4-2) took the loss after allowing four runs in relief. Smith’s hitting streak now stands at 10 games, according to the university.

The series continues Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.

Source: Original Article