CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team opened its final Gulf South Conference series of the 2023 season with a 7-6 win over in-state and conference foe, Delta State University, on Friday, Apr. 28.
 
Five Choctaw (16-31, 10-18 GSC) notched multiple-hit efforts in the performance as the team totaled 12 hits in the contest – the fourth most this season for the squad. Bridley Thomas, Beau Bates, Kolby McWilliams, Alex McWhorter and Wesley Sides all led the team with two hits each.
 
Austin Huggins (5-1) registered the win on the mound as Jackson Smith (4) garnered the save. Huggins struck out six and allowed three runs on four hits in 6.2 frames in the start. Smith tossed the final two innings to record his sixth career save as he allowed one hit in six batters faced. The save moves the Raymond, Miss., native to sixth all-time alongside Tyler Scholl (2015-16) and Daniel Cowart (2010-11). The senior hurler also moves onto the single-season saves list with his fourth as he joins Ryan Lane (2019) and Brock Campbell (2010).
 
After DSU (22-24, 12-15 GSC) took the early lead behind a three-run home run in its first trip to the plate, the Blue and Gold responded with seven runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead and never trailed again.
 
MC sent nine batters to the plate in the frame behind its neighbors from the northwest recorded an out in the inning. Cole Drake kick started the scoring onslaught as he lifted a solo home run over the center field wall. The dinger marked his sixth of the season, which is fourth on the team.
 
After Jordan Rollins scored on a wild pitch, Thomas knotted the contest at 3-all with single to left field. The base knock lifted the Statesmen starting pitcher Hammer Franks from the contest with three allowed and responsible for Thomas and Luis Alcantara on the base path. Franks (0-4) took the loss on the mound as he was tagged with five runs on four hits in an inning of work.
 
Bates broke the deadlock with an RBI single to left field. JT Vance followed with an RBI single as McWilliams and McWhorter followed suit with RBI singles of their own to help expand the margin to 7-3.
 
Huggins retired the Statesmen in order in the top of the third and allowed two hits over the next five innings with just five baserunners reaching base during the span before he was lifted in the top of the seventh for Gabe Garner.
 
The Green and White attempted a rally in the top of the eighth as it plated three runs assisted by a two-base Choctaw error that allowed a pair of runs to score following a Noah Thigpen single. However, the threat was limited as Smith took over on the mound to retire the following three hitters. DSU had one final gasp in the top of the ninth as Brendan McCauley led off the inning with an infield single, but was immediately retired as Kirkland Trahan hit into a 4-6-3 double play and a second ground ball out ended the contest.
 
Mississippi College and Delta State conclude the series on Saturday, Apr. 29 with a doubleheader. First pitch has moved up to 11 a.m. with Senior Day slotted for 10:40 a.m.
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