HATTIESBURG — In a weekend filled with big comebacks at Pete Taylor Park, Rice got the last word in.

The Owls rallied for five runs in the eighth inning to register a 7-6, come-from-behind victory over Southern Miss on Sunday afternoon.

Trei Cruz went 3-for-5 for Rice (12-18, 2-7 Conference USA), and his two-run single in the eighth inning gave the Owls the lead for good.

On Saturday, Rice scored six runs in the eighth and then gave up five in the ninth before losing in extra innings. This time, reliever Jackson Parthasarthy pitched a perfect eighth and ninth inning to keep Southern Miss (19-7, 6-2) at bay.

Parthasarthy finished with three strikeouts — four Rice pitchers combined for 13 in the game — and earned his first save of the season.

Southern Miss still won two out of three in the series and is a half-game behind Louisiana Tech for first place in Conference USA.

Matt Wallner hit a grand slam during a six-run fifth inning Sunday that gave the Golden Eagles a 6-2 lead. It was his sixth home run of the season, and third in this series.

Hunter Slater went 3-for-4 with a double and scored a run in the sixth as part of a double steal.