A Rain‑Delayed Battle
The No. 8 nationally ranked Southern Miss Golden Eagles entered the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals with an 11‑game winning streak, only to watch it evaporate against Troy. The contest, played under a cloudy Alabama sky, was halted for nearly two hours by lightning in the seventh inning, adding a dramatic pause to an already tense matchup.
Troy seized early momentum, plating three runs in the third inning to build a lead. When play resumed, the Golden Eagles fought back, but Southern Miss pitcher Camden Sunstrom surrendered four runs on eight hits over five innings, earning the loss. Meanwhile, Troy’s Zach Crotchfelt limited Southern Miss to a single run on five hits across five frames, securing the win for his side.
A ninth‑inning rally brought the score to 9‑6, sparking hopes of a comeback. The Eagles narrowed the gap, but the effort fell short, and the team will now meet Troy again on Sunday at 9 a.m. for a second semifinal showdown, a chance to reverse the earlier result.
The winner of that rematch will advance to face Louisiana in the Sun Belt Conference championship game at 1 p.m., a stage the program hopes to reach for the third time in four years. The stakes are high, and both squads know a single victory could reshape the conference landscape.