LAFAYETTE — No. 10 Southern Miss used a combination of timely power hitting and dominant pitching to defeat Louisiana 8-1 on Friday night at Russo Park.
The Golden Eagles (25-9, 8-5 Sun Belt) scored in four different innings and never trailed, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning on Matthew Russo’s two-run home run to right field.
Southern Miss added two more runs in the fourth without recording a hit, capitalizing on walks and a Louisiana error to extend the lead to 4-0. The Golden Eagles broke the game open in the sixth when Tucker Stockman launched a two-run homer, pushing the advantage to 6-0.
They tacked on two additional runs in the eighth to seal the win.
Davis Gillespie led Southern Miss at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Russo drove in two runs. Stockman also finished with two RBIs.
On the mound, Southern Miss starter Grayden Harris (6-1) was dominant, allowing one run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out 10. Colby Allen closed the game with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five.
Louisiana (19-15, 4-9) struggled offensively, striking out 15 times and managing just five hits. Josh Lim paced the Cajuns with three hits, including two doubles.
The Cajuns’ lone run came in the seventh inning when Drew Markle singled to score Donovan LaSalle.
Sawyer Pruitt (2-3) took the loss for Louisiana, allowing four runs on three hits and six walks in four innings.
Southern Miss finished with seven hits but drew eight walks, while Louisiana committed two errors in the loss.
The two teams continue the series Saturday.
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