by Hunter Dawkins, Owner/Publisher – editor@thegazebogazette.com or hdawkins@supertalk.fm

HATTIESBURG (GG) — Senior Matthew Russo drove in a career-high six runs, including a walk-off three-run home run in the eighth inning, as No. 8 Southern Miss run-ruled Georgia Southern 11-0 to complete a three-game Sun Belt Conference sweep Saturday afternoon, May 16 at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field. The Golden Eagles (40-14 overall, 22-8 Sun Belt) earned the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) regular season title with Louisiana defeating Coastal Carolina 3-2.

Southern Miss finished SBC play going 14-1 during the last five series and won their 20th consecutive regular season game in the month of May. This was the Golden Eagles first regular season conference championship in baseball since the 2022 Conference USA title.

Russo and Kyle Morrison had three hits to lead the Golden Eagles. Russo highlighted a five-run first inning for Southern Miss with a two-run double.

Shortstop Seth Smith led-off the game with a home run to right for his fourth of the year and Drey Barrett added a two-run long ball, his seventh, later to complete the inning’s scoring as they chased Georgia Southern starter Alex Mason after getting only two outs.  At the end of the first inning, the score was Southern Miss 5 Georgia Southern 0.

Davis Gillespie added to the Golden Eagle lead in the second with an RBI groundout, before Ty Long drove in a run with a double in the third to make the score 7-0.

Russo then drove in the final four runs for the Golden Eagles with an RBI single to right in the sixth and then his three-run homer to right center that went 412 feet to end the game in his final collegiate regular season at bat at home.

Southern Miss starter Camden Sunstrom (6-3) limited the Eagles to no runs on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts to earn the victory. Josh Och threw a scoreless frame and Colby Allen blanked the visitors for two innings, coming up with five strikeouts, as the Golden Eagles notched their third shutout of the season.

2026 marks the second consecutive year Southern Miss baseball won 40 regular season games and the sixth overall in history.

The Golden Eagles will next play Wednesday at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament slated for Montgomery, Ala. The tournament bracket is slated to be announced later Saturday evening after the conclusion of the day’s games.

(Photos by Aimee Cronan/The Gazebo Gazette via Associated Press)