Southern Miss run-rules Louisiana-Monroe again to take series

Published 11:15 pm Saturday, April 20, 2024

HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss made short work of Louisiana-Monroe again.

Tucker Stockman collected season highs of three hits and five RBIs, and his eighth-inning grand slam gave Southern Miss a 13-3 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.

The Golden Eagles (25-14, 11-6 Sun Belt Conference) won their fourth straight game as they run-ruled the Warhawks (17-21, 5-12) for the second consecutive day. The Golden Eagles have scored at least nine runs in all four victories.

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Joining Stockman as a hitting star for the Golden Eagles was Slade Wilks, who added three hits and three RBIs. Wilks now has a career-best 12-game hitting streak.

Louisiana-Monroe (17-21, 5-12) took an early lead as they scored all their runs off Golden Eagle starter Colby Allen.

ULM got its first run in the second inning on an RBI fielder’s choice from Jake Haggard, before a two-run, third-inning home run from Shawn Weatherbee made it 3-0.

The Golden Eagles, though, scored six runs in the third inning to take the lead for good.

After a pair of walks to open the inning, Ozzie Pratt delivered a bunt single to load the bases. A bases-loaded walk to Nick Monistere accounted for the first run, before Wilks tripled down the right field line to empty the bases and give Southern Miss a 4-3 advantage.

Wilks then scored on Davis Gillespie’s single. Gillespie later scored on a single by Stockman to make the score 6-3.

Southern Miss added two more runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Matthew Russo, before Pratt hit a sacrifice fly.

A five-run rally in the eighth inning, capped by Stockman’s grand slam, ended the game early. It was the first home run of the redshirt freshman catcher’s college career.

USM pitcher Will Armistead (1-1), who came in out of the bullpen, limited the Warhawks to one hit and one walk over four innings with five walks to get the victory.

The final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday, at 1 p.m. at USM’s Pete Taylor Park. It will be streamed on ESPN+.

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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