Top-seed Southern Miss avoids elimination with 6-5 victory over Alabama in Hattiesburg Regional

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — Nick Monistere led off the eighth inning with his second home run and Tucker Stockman delivered a two-out, two-run single to rally Southern Mississippi to a 6-5 victory over Alabama on Saturday in an elimination game of the Hattiesburg Regional.

Top-seeded host Southern Miss (45-15) will play the loser of the nightcap between No. 4 seed Columbia and the third-seeded Miami Hurricanes in a Sunday elimination game.

The Golden Eagles rallied after Bryce Fowler’s two-out two-run homer in the seventh gave No. 2 seed Alabama (41-18) a 5-3 lead. Fowler went 3 for 5 from the leadoff spot.

Will Plattner homered off Southern Miss starter JB Middleton in the third to put Alabama up 1-0. Monistere answered in the bottom of the inning with a two-out two-run shot to give the Golden Eagles the lead.

Will Hodo hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put the Crimson Tide up 3-2. Ben Higdon homered leading off the bottom of the inning to tie it for Southern Miss.

Middleton allowed five runs on seven hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts. Colby Allen (7-4) allowed two hits and three walks in two scoreless innings for the win.

Crimson Tide starter Tyler Fay allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. Braylon Myers was tagged for a run in the seventh. Carson Ozmer (4-2), who came in after Monistere’s leadoff homer in the eighth, allowed two runs on a hit and two walks in one inning.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports