CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Southern Miss defeated Troy to advance to its fourth-straight Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University final and outpaced Louisiana to secure its third tournament crown over its past four seasons in the conference. 
 
The Golden Eagles added the tournament hardware to their regular-season trophy and earned the right to host an NCAA Baseball Regional in Hattiesburg, Miss., for the second-straight season, as announced by the NCAA Sunday evening. 

GAME 16 – No. 1 seed Southern Miss def. No. 4 seed Troy, 6-2
Southern Miss defeated Troy, 6-2, in the tournament rubber game between the teams to punch its ticket to the finale of the Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University. 
 
The Golden Eagles used a four-run bottom of the third inning to build a lead they would never relinquish. After back-to-back singles to open the frame, junior shortstop Seth Smith doubled to right center to plate the first run of the day and senior outfielder Joey Urban followed with a 402-foot, three-run shot to left center to run the lead to 4-0. 
 
Troy senior second baseman Sean Darnell tripled down the line to lead off the top of the fifth and eventually came around to score to make it 4-1. Southern Miss answered with a two-run blast to center off the bat of junior outfielder Davis Gillespie to extend its advantage to 6-1. 
 
The Trojans manufactured a small-ball run in the top of the eighth to produce the final 6-2 margin. 
 
Senior right-hander Colby Allen struck out six over 6.0 innings of work in relief, while conceding just two runs—one earned—on seven hits. He earned the win to move to 7-1 on the campaign. 
 
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – No. 1 seed Southern Miss def. No. 7 seed Louisiana, 11-7
Southern Miss scored in each of its first five at-bats—including crooked numbers in the first four innings—to outpace Louisiana, 11-7, and earn its third Sun Belt tournament title in its four seasons in the conference. 
 
A 425-foot leadoff bomb from junior shortstop Seth Smith set the tone in the bottom of the first and senior first baseman Matthew Russo added a 422-foot, two-run shot to make it 3-0 Golden Eagles through one. 
 
Southern Miss added three more in the bottom of the second—headlined by a two-RBI single to center by senior outfielder Joey Urban. 
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns got on the board in the top of the third with a solo home run to left by junior first baseman Donovan LaSalle, before the Golden Eagles tacked on two more to extend their lead to 8-1.  
 
With two runners in scoring position, senior outfielder Ben Higdon delivered a single up the middle to plate a pair in the bottom of the fourth. Junior outfielder Davis Gillespie then doubled home senior second baseman Kyle Morrison in the bottom of the fifth to cap the Golden Eagles scoring with an 11-1 lead. 
 
Down to its final three outs, Louisiana scored five runs via the longball in the top of the ninth. Senior second baseman Lee Amedee hit a two-run bomb to right and sophomore outfielder Mark Collins added a three-run homer to left to narrow the Southern Miss lead to 11-7. 
 
Sophomore right-hander Teague Broadhead induced a loud out to right field to close the contest and cue the dogpile. After allowing just one hit in the seventh inning, junior right-hander Thomas Crabtree picked up his second win of the season. 
 
SBC ELITE AWARD
Mark Collins, Louisiana (So., OF – Opelousas, La.) 
 
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER
Joey Urban, Southern Miss (Sr., OF – Jupiter, Fla.) 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Trace Mazon, Coastal Carolina (Jr., DH – Aledo, Texas) 
Lee Amedee, Louisiana (Sr., 1B – Gonzales, La.) 
Donovan LaSalle, Louisiana (Jr., OF – Lake Charles, La.) 
Maddox Mandino, Louisiana (Jr., OF – Minden. La.) 
Ty Roman, Louisiana (Jr., LHP – Diboll, Texas) 
Mitchell Heer, South Alabama (5th Yr., RHP – Acworth, Ga.) 
Colby Allen, Southern Miss (Sr., RHP – Louisville, Miss.) 
Drey Barrett, Southern Miss (So., 3B – Holtville, Ala.)
Matthew Russo, Southern Miss (Sr., 1B – Madisonville, La.) 
Clayton Namken, Texas State (Fr., C – New Braunfels, Texas) 
Blake Cavill, Troy (Sr., 1B – Sydney, Australia) 
Zach Crotchfelt, Troy (Sr., LHP – Jackson, N.J.) 
Aaron Piasecki, Troy (Sr., SS – Muskegon, Mich.) 
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 19
Game 1 – No. 7 seed Louisiana def. No. 10 seed Marshall, 11-1 (7 Innings)
Game 2 – No. 9 seed Georgia State def. No. 8 seed Old Dominion, 17-1 (7 Innings)
 
Wednesday, May 20
Game 3 – No. 6 seed Texas State def. No. 3 seed App State, 6-5 
Game 4 – No. 7 seed Louisiana def. No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina, 12-11 
Game 5 – No. 1 seed Southern Miss def. No. 9 seed Georgia State, 7-6

Thursday, May 21
Game 6 – No. 4 seed Troy def. No. 5 seed South Alabama, 11-3
Game 7 – No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina def. No. 3 seed App State, 8-2 
Game 8 – No. 5 seed South Alabama def. No. 9 seed Georgia State, 7-4 
Game 9 – No. 6 seed Texas State def. No. 7 seed Louisiana, 4-3
 
Friday, May 22
Game 10 – No. 1 seed Southern Miss def. No. 4 seed Troy, 7-6
Game 11 – No. 7 seed Louisiana def. No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina, 5-4 

Saturday, May 23
Game 12 – No. 4 seed Troy def. No. 5 seed South Alabama, 11-10
Game 13 – No. 7 seed Louisiana def. No. 6 seed Texas State, 12-6 
Game 14 – No. 4 seed Troy def. No. 1 seed Southern Miss, 9-6
Game 15 – No. 7 seed Louisiana def. No. 6 seed Texas State, 7-4
 
Sunday, May 24
Game 16 – No. 1 seed Southern Miss def. No. 4 seed Troy, 6-2
Championship Game – No. 1 seed Southern Miss def. No. 7 seed Louisiana, 11-7