FROM VARIOUS REPORTS
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — The NCAA Hattiesburg Regional delivered a thrilling pair of games at Pete Taylor Park – Hill Denson Field on Saturday, May 30, 2026, as Virginia and Little Rock both captured hard-fought victories to advance in the tournament.
In the elimination contest, Virginia outlasted host Southern Miss 15-11 in a 10-inning, four-hour and seven-minute marathon. Played under cloudy, 84-degree skies in front of 5,331 fans, the game featured heavy offensive firepower from both dugouts. Virginia opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single by AJ Gracia. Southern Miss answered in the second on a three-run home run from Tucker Stockman. The teams traded three-run homers in the third, courtesy of Virginia’s Joe Tiroly and Southern Miss’s Davis Gillespie.
Virginia surged ahead with five runs in the fourth, highlighted by Gracia’s three-run triple. However, the Golden Eagles clawed back, ultimately tying the game in the eighth on a two-run double by Stockman. In the 10th inning, Virginia’s Zach Jackson delivered the game-winning hit with a two-run single through the left side, immediately followed by a two-run homer to center field from Kyle Johnson to seal the 15-11 victory. Gracia led the Cavaliers with five RBIs, while Stockman paced Southern Miss with five RBIs. Reliever Max Stammel (4-5) earned the win, while Thomas Crabtree (2-3) took the loss. There was no save recorded.
In the nightcap, Little Rock edged Jacksonville State 8-6. Played in sunny conditions in 3 hours and 16 minutes with an identical 5,331 spectators in attendance, Little Rock jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Blake Simpson and Nico Baumbach ripped RBI singles, and Ty Rhoades added an RBI groundout. Nolan Freund extended the lead with an RBI ground-rule double in the second. Jacksonville State fought back with a solo home run by Brady Thomas and an RBI double from Matthew Cash in the second.
Little Rock continued to produce, plating two in the sixth on an RBI triple from Simpson and putting the game away in the eighth via a two-run double down the left field line from Baumbach. Simpson and Baumbach powered the offense with two and three RBIs respectively. Isaac Evaniew (4-1) claimed the win out of the bullpen, while starter Ryan Geraghty (2-2) suffered the loss. Tag Andrews secured his seventh save of the year (7) with 1.2 scoreless innings.
Following Saturday’s results, and Little Rock (39-26) advance to the championship game Sunday at 8 PM CT in Hattiesburg. Virginia (38-22) and Jacksonville State (47-15) play at 3 PM CT, with the winner advancing to the regional championship game at 8 PM CT Sunday night., Southern Miss (44-18) is eliminated.
This was created with AI assistance using content provided by the StatBroadcast, and edited for content and accuracy by the webmaster.
