Virginia edges Southern Miss 15-11 in 10 innings at NCAA Hattiesburg Regional

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Virginia scored four runs in the top of the 10th inning to beat Southern Miss 15-11 Saturday in an NCAA regional elimination game at Pete Taylor Park. The Cavaliers, the No. 2 seed and ranked No. 15, advanced after a back-and-forth contest that saw four lead changes and one tie.

Southern Miss, the top seed and seventh-ranked team, concluded its season with a 44-17 record. It was the first tournament loss for the Golden Eagles since the 2022 Hattiesburg Super Regional, according to school officials.

Virginia’s A.J. Gracia went 5-for-5 with five RBIs, including a double to start the final frame. After two walks loaded the bases, Virginia took the lead on Zach Jackson’s two-run single. Kyle Johnson then homered over the center field wall to cap the scoring. Thomas Crabtree, who pitched 2 1/3 innings, took the loss for Southern Miss to fall to 2-3.

Southern Miss’s offense was led by Tucker Stockman, who had two hits and five RBIs, and Joe Urban, who notched three hits. Davis Gillespie added two hits and four RBIs. The Golden Eagles rallied from a 9-6 deficit in the eighth inning, scoring three runs to tie the game at 11 before Virginia pulled ahead in the 10th.

The game featured a combined 31 hits and 18 strikeouts by five Southern Miss pitchers. Virginia will face the winner of the Little Rock versus Jacksonville State game later Saturday.

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