#12 Bulldogs Swept In The Hub City By #21 Southern Miss

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (MSU Athletics/WCBI) – Mississippi State dropped the final game of their Opening Weekend Series with No. 21 Southern Miss, 5-2, Sunday.

MSU starter Jacob Billingsley held USM to a couple of runs through four innings before the Golden Eagles broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning.

“I thought [Billingsley] gave us an outstanding effort today,” Mississippi State head baseball coach Andy Cannizaro said. “This was an extremely competitive ballgame. We found out that we have a lot of work to do.”

The Golden Eagles (3-0) struck first in the bottom of the second with as outfielder Gabe Montenegro punch an infield RBI single. Later in the inning, Billingsley gave up a bases loaded walk to make it 2-0, but was able to avoid any more damage.

State fought back in the top of the third. Jake Mangum was hit by a pitch with two outs and scored after three straight walks. In the next bat, Tanner Allen was hit by a pitch to tie the ballgame.

USM pulled away in the fifth as a Luke Reynolds two-RBI double turned into three runs after a Bulldog error.

Freshman Josh Hatcher added another hit to his stellar weekend, going 1-for-3 with a couple of walks and a run scored Sunday.

State used four pitchers in the series finale, all making their first appearances of 2018. Zach Neff, a graduate transfer from Austin Peay, made his MSU debut and Blake Smith pitched for the first time in almost a year after injury kept him out most of 2017. Cole Gordon also pitched, and gave MSU 2.1 innings of shutout work.

Lefty Jacob Weirich (1-0) earned the win for USM after 2.2 innings of relief work, while Matt Wallner came in to earn the save. Neff (0-1) surrendered the final three runs and took the loss for State.

The Diamond Dawgs will continue their 12-game road swing to open the season on Wednesday against Jackson State at Robert Braddy Field with a 6 p.m. CT first pitch.