HATTIESBURG, Miss. (ODU Sports) - Old Dominion (28-12, 12-6 C-USA) belted a season-high-tying 18 hits en route to a series-clinching 9-2 victory over No. 16 Southern Miss (30-12, 13-5 C-USA) on Sunday at Pete Taylor Park.
The series win is Old Dominion's first road series win over a ranked opponent since 2000, when ODU swept No. 21 East Carolina under the guidance of Tony Guzzo. It also marked the first time Southern Miss had dropped a home Conference USA series since April of 2015.
Kyle Battle led ODU's high-powered attack, going 4-for-6 with a double and three runs. Battle, who moved into the leadoff spot for this series, ended the series with a .571 average and seven runs.
Freshman John Wilson, who improved to 6-1 on the year, went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits.
In the league standings, ODU moved into a three-way tie for a second with Charlotte and Florida Atlantic, one game behind USM.
Up next, the Monarchs return to The Bud to host Marshall in a three-game set next weekend. For the second straight week, ODU will not have a midweek game.