HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — Grayden Harris struck out 13 over seven dominant innings and Seth Smith delivered a decisive three-run double in the eighth as Southern Mississippi pulled away from North Alabama for a 6-1 victory Saturday at Pete Taylor Park.

The Golden Eagles (13-2) clinched the weekend series after winning the opener Friday and will go for the sweep Sunday. The Lions fell to 7-8.

Harris, the clear star for Southern Miss, was nearly untouchable. The right-hander allowed just three hits and one earned run while walking one. He recorded at least one strikeout in every inning he worked, fanning the side in the third and sixth innings. His performance followed a six-inning, no-hit outing against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 28.

North Alabama starter Luke Davenport matched Harris through five hitless innings, but the Lions could not support him. Davenport walked five and hit two batters, exiting after 5 1/3 innings having allowed two earned runs without surrendering a hit.

Southern Miss broke through against Davenport in the third. Joey Urban launched his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to deep left field, to tie the game 1-1. The Golden Eagles took the lead an inning later when Kyle Morrison hit his fifth homer, a solo blast to left center.

The Lions scratched out a run in the seventh to cut the deficit to 2-1. Nash Rippen walked and Wes Walker followed with an infield single. Cayden Sheffield then doubled to right field, scoring Rippen, but Walker was thrown out at the plate on a relay from right fielder Drey Barrett to complete a 9-2-6-2 putout.

Harris gave way to reliever Josh Och to start the eighth. Och worked two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two to earn the save.

The most important part of the game came in the bottom of the eighth, when the Golden Eagles broke it open against the North Alabama bullpen. Reliever Gavin Oswald walked two and hit a batter to load the bases with one out. After a pitching change, Sawyer Toney allowed a sacrifice fly to Barrett, scoring Urban to make it 3-1. Smith then cleared the bases with a three-run double to right field off Toney, stretching the lead to 6-1.

North Alabama managed just four hits total, with Sheffield’s RBI double providing the only run. The Lions left two runners on in the ninth.

The victory was the 10th in the last 11 games for Southern Mississippi. North Alabama has lost three of its last four.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 7-5 Southern Miss win, while its ELO system gave the Golden Eagles a 91.10% probability to win.

The teams conclude the three-game series Sunday afternoon.