Texas State baseball (27-27, 13-15 Sun Belt Conference) defeated one of the conference’s best, Southern Mississippi University (35-18, 18-10 Sun Belt Conference), by a score of 7-5 in a game that started on Thursday but, due to weather conditions, finished on Friday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

With this win, Texas State improved its chances of obtaining the 10th seed in the conference standings, allowing it to compete in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

Redshirt senior pitcher Cameron Bush was locked in from the jump, collecting the win in five innings pitched, allowing seven hits and one run with four strikeouts and no walks. Through all of Bush’s five innings, he stranded six Golden Eagle runners on the base, helping keep Texas State in front.

The Bobcats gained an early 2-0 lead off back-to-back doubles by senior outfielder Ryne Farber and junior infielder Aaron Lugo. Lugo double-drove in the two runs, scoring Farber and sophomore infielder Chase Mora, who had singled earlier in the inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Bobcats offense broke loose, scoring four runs on four hits with Southern Mississippi’s pitching staff for giving up a couple free bases. The scoring was highlighted by another Lugo two-RBI double. Lugo finished the day with five RBIs.

Senior pitcher Rhett McCaffety replaced Bush on the mound in the bottom of the sixth and struggled. The Golden Eagles collected four hits and four runs off McCaffety in the inning, putting themselves within striking distance. Junior infielder Dalton McIntyre cleared the bases with a two-RBI double with two outs to put Southern Miss. down three.

In the bottom of the eighth the game was put into a weather delay, and it was decided the game would be completed before game two of the series on Friday.

The final nine outs were recorded on Friday. Senior pitcher Tony Robie got the save for the Bobcats. In two innings, Robie allowed no runs, one hit, and one walk and one strikeout.