CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team claimed its first Gulf South Conference series in a big way, run-ruling the University of West Alabama, 15-3, in seven innings on Saturday, Feb. 15. MC improved to 6-4 on the season and 2-1 in conference play.
 
The series victory is the second of the season for the Choctaws and the first conference series win since April 2024, when it took a doubleheader from Christian Brothers University in Memphis.
 
MC totaled 13 hits in the contest, led by Bryce LaRocca, who went 3-for-3 with five RBI. The Lake Charles, La., native was one of three Choctaws to hit a home run in the contest as he catapulted two out of Frierson Field.
 
Korey Cooper, Blaise Breerwood and Logan Shurden joined the offensive charge with two hits each. It is the third time this season the Blue and Gold have totaled 10-plus hits in a contest. The season-best is 15 against Arkansas Tech University earlier this season and matched against Blue Mountain Christian University earlier in the week.
 
Cooper, Alex Johnson, Tyler Jacobsen and Breerwood and Shurden all drove in two runs. Cooper and Johnson joined LaRocca as they relocated two baseballs over the wall as well in contest.
 
Blake Gollott (1-0) picked up his first victory of the season on the bump. Saucier, Miss., product struck out five in five frames. He allowed three runs on six hits in the start and walked one Tiger. Gabe Garner closed out the final two innings as he fanned two, walked one and gave up one hit in two frames in relief.
 
MC scored a run in five of the six innings in the contest, including a six-run, second inning. Three of the Choctaw home runs came during the run. Cooper and Johnson hit back-to-back solo home runs to open the inning and four batters later, LaRocca collected his second homer of the day as he launched a ball over the left field wall for a grand slam - the first in the program since 2023 - on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

The six runs equaled the second most scored in an inning this season by the Blue and Gold, matching the six runs in the fifth against BMC earlier in the week. The most runs are seven in the ninth against ATU in the Houston Astros Winter Invitational finale.
 
The victory gives the Blue and Gold its first series win over UWA since 2020.
 
Blake Vineyard paced the Tigers at the plate with three hits, including two home runs, and three RBI. The Red and White sent six pitchers to the mound in the contest with Baker Green (0-2) taking the loss. Green gave up five runs on five hits in 1.1 innings in the start.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 18 as it hosts Henderson State University. First pitch is 2 p.m.