USM now on a five game winning streak

Story from USM athletics:
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Christopher Sargentcollected two hits and drove in three runs to lead Southern Miss past Arkansas State 4-1 Saturday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field to capture a Sun Belt Conference series.

The Golden Eagles (27-15 overall, 13-7 Sun Belt) won for a season-high fifth-straight time and go for a sweep of the Red Wolves with a 1 p.m., Sunday contest to complete the set.

The home squad jumped out front with a pair of runs in the opening inning. After a leadoff walk to Matthew Etzel, Dustin Dickerson doubled to put runners on second and third. After a strikeout, Sargent knocked in both runs with a single to right-center field.

Dickerson then increased the lead in the third with a solo homer to left – his third of the year – to give the Golden Eagles a 3-0 advantage. The Golden Eagles have now hit home runs in five consecutive games.

The Red Wolves (15-24, 5-13) plated their only run in the fourth on a Brandon Hager solo homer to center, which was his ninth of the year.

That was the only blemish for Golden Eagle starter Billy Oldham, who limited the Red Wolves to a run on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to get the victory and improve to 4-2. The Hagar homer was the first hit he surrendered with one out in the fourth.

Southern Miss got that run back in the sixth on a Sargent leadoff homer to left-center field. It was Sargent’s ninth homer of the year and 46th of his career, tying him with Brad Willcutt (2002-05) for fourth place on the school’s career home run chart.

Justin Storm threw the final two innings and only allowed a single while fanning three to earn his sixth save of the season.

ASU starter Kyler Carmack gave up all four runs over six innings on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts to suffer the loss and fall to 4-2.