CLEVELAND, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team collected 10 or more hits for the 20th time this season and the 11th in Gulf South Conference play, but fell 8-6 to in-state and conference foe, Delta State University on Friday, Apr. 26. MC moved to 20-23 on the season, 10-18 in league play. DSU improved to 26-20 and 17-11 in conference action.
 
Five Choctaws recorded multiple hits in the contest, led by JT Vance and Wesley Sides with three hit efforts. It is the fifth, three-hit effort this season for the Union, Miss., native and his 21st multiple-hit performance. Sides, who drove in three runs, registered three hits for the third time on the campaign and his 14th multi-hit effort.
 
Caleb Reese, Blaise Breerwood and Cole Drake provided two hit acts each in the contest. Drake joined Sides with multi-RBI efforts as he drove in two during the series-opener. It is the 19th time this season Reese has logged two-plus hits and the 15th for Drake. Breerwood registered his seventh on the campaign.
 
Holland Townes (3-6) took the loss on the bump. He allowed four earned runs, seven total, on six hits in 5.1 frames in the start. He fanned three and walked five.
 
Christian Clayson (2-3) registered the victory on the mound with a scoreless 2.1 frames in relief. He struck out two and allowed three hits. Josh Hill (7) tossed the final frame and picked up his seventh save of the season. He allowed one hit during his stint on the bump.
 
Wesley Sides accounted for the first three Choctaw runs. After driving in the first run in the first trip to the plate, the Southaven, Miss., native rolled a breaking pitch through the six hole to score Caleb Reese and Blaise Breerwood.
 
DSU responded with a six-run frame in the bottom of the third to double up the Blue and Gold on the scoreboard. The Statesmen capitalized on a pair of Choctaw miscues and added a trio hits alongside two walks to grab their first lead of the game, 6-3. The Green and White had one just through the first two frames.
 
MC posted a three spot in the top of the fifth to knot the contest at 6-all. Four consecutive singles spearheaded the scoring effort in frame. Cole Drake delivered the fourth of strand with a two-run single down the right field line to plate Vance and Reese. Beau Kirsch laced a ball deep to left field, but into the waiting of mitt of Blayke Dendy, however Sides tagged and scampered home to force the deadlock. Kirsch's sacrifice fly marked his team-tying fifth of the season.
 
After the Statesmen took a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth, the Choctaw threatened in the top of the seventh with a pair of doubles and three hits total, but were shutout out in the frame. Cooper laced a ball into left field, sending Drake towards home plate to knot the contest again, but the Brandon, Miss., native was erased at the plate, leaving the Green and White clinging to a one-run lead. Dendy followed with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the margin to two runs.
 
Mississippi College and Delta State close out the series on Saturday, Apr. 27 with a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.