HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Hunter Stanley threw seven shutout innings and the Golden Eagles scored solo runs in the second and fourth innings as Southern Miss defeated Missouri State 2-1 Friday night at Pete Taylor Park in the first of a three-game weekend series.
The Golden Eagles, which have won six of its last seven games, improved to 10-6 on the season, while the Bears fell to 6-6.
Behind a RBI double from Will McGillis in the second and an RBI single from Christopher Sargent in the fourth, Hunter Stanley limited the Bears to just three hits and two walks as he fanned seven in the contest. He retired seven in a row at one time as he stranded five Bears on the base paths.
Stanley earned the victory and improved to 3-1.
Ryan Och got the first two batters out to start the eighth, but a two-out walk was followed by a single and an RBI double from Drake Baldwin before getting out of the jam on a ground out.
Garrett Ramsey gave up a one-out single in the ninth, but fanned the other three batters he faced to collect his fifth save in five appearances.
Sargent led the Golden Eagles with two hits, while Cam Cratic and Baldwin paced the Bears attack with two apiece.
MSU starter Hayden Minton (0-1) gave up two runs on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts over four frames to suffer the loss.
The series continues with a 2 p.m., contest Saturday.