USM runs streak to 14 games

Published 12:20 am Saturday, May 16, 2015

Southern Miss will take the nation’s longest winning streak into the postseason.

The Golden Eagles collected 25 total hits, got homers from Austin Roussel and Connor Barron, and swept a doubleheader from Middle Tennessee on Friday, 13-11 and 8-4.

The second game of the doubleheader was the regular-season finale for both teams. It was moved from today because of the threat of rain.

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The wins were Southern Miss’ 13th and 14th in a row, which is the longest active winning streak in the country. The Golden Eagles (35-16-1, 19-10 Conference USA) will ride that into the C-USA Tournament that begins Wednesday in Hattiesburg.

Southern Miss has scored at least eight runs in each of its last six games. In the first game of Friday’s doubleheader, it used a five-run rally in the seventh inning to take the lead for good in a wild affair, and went on to win 13-11.

A bases-loaded walk to Matt Durst gave USM a 9-8 lead, and Michael Sterling capped the inning with a two-run single.

Middle Tennessee (30-25, 19-11) scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh — Kevin Sullivan drove in two with a double and then scored on an error — but couldn’t get closer.

Southern Miss closer Ryan Milton struck out three batters while working two scoreless innings to slam the door and earn his 10th save of the season.

In game two, Barron went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run, four RBIs and three runs scored as Southern Miss won 8-4 to complete the sweep.

Dylan Burdeaux also had three hits and an RBI, and Taylor Braley drove in two runs.

James McMahon pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits. He walked two and struck out seven.

Texas Southern 10, Alcorn State 0

Horace Leblanc and Joel Rosario each had two hits and an RBI, Ryan Rios threw a complete-game shutout, and top-seeded Texas Southern (28-17) ended Alcorn State’s (16-41) season with a run-rule victory in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament in New Orleans.

Southern 6, Jackson State 5

Jose DeLa Torre hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Southern University (20-22) a win over Jackson State (32-25) in the SWAC Tournament.

Southern advanced to its first conference championship game since 2011. Jackson State, the defending SWAC champion, was eliminated.