PEARL (AP) — To say Ryan Cyr was nervous for his first career start was an understatement, but you never would have known by how he pitched.

Behind a stellar pitching performance and defense, the Bulldogs shut out rival Ole Miss 2-0 in a top 10 showdown in the 37th annual Governor’s Cup at Trustmark Park on Tuesday night.

It’s the first shutout for third-ranked Mississippi State (28-13-1) in the Governor’s Cup and the first shutout in the series since 2006, when Ole Miss won 1-0.

The announced crowd of 8,542 was the largest in Trustmark Park history. It broke the record of 8,496 set at the 2014 Governor’s Cup.

“I felt like Cyr was well rested and would have good velocity,” Mississippi State coach John Cohen said. “It got us off to a great start and was very competitive.”

Cyr came in only having thrown 12 innings without allowing a run. Cyr lasted four innings Tuesday, scattering four hits, with two walks and one strikeout on 51 pitches. Cohen stated after the game Cyr was on a 50-pitch limit.

“It’s just an adjustment going from being in the bullpen to a starting role,” Cyr said. “I was kind of nervous with it being my first start but after the first inning I settled down and did what I had to do.”

Mississippi State scored the first run of the game in the bottom of first on a single by Reid Humphreys. The other run came on an RBI single by Nathaniel Lowe in the third.

Jake Mangum, Humphreys and Lowe had two hits each to lead the Bulldogs offensively.

“We didn’t hit very well tonight,” Cohen said. “But we were able to make big plays defensively and kept pounding the strike zone and that was the difference.”

Zac Houston (3-0) got the win in relief for Mississippi State, lasting 2 2/3 innings while scattering three hits with two strikeouts. Jacob Billingsley got the save with 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball and was the game’s MVP.

Billingsley allowed two hits and no walks, and struck out three to earn his first save of the season.

“I thought Zac came in and did a great job of pounding the strike zone and getting ahead of hitters,” Cohen said. “He pitched very well and kept his velocity up.”

Ole Miss had chances to tie the game, but left 11 men on base. The ninth-ranked Rebels (32-11) left two runners on base in the third, sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

“We didn’t have very many good at-bats, but you have to credit their pitching for that. They pitched it well tonight,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “Came down to timely hits and they got two big ones and we didn’t.”

Southern Miss 7, La.-Lafayette 2

Tim Lynch hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, Chase Scott added a two-run shot two batters later, and Southern Miss (30-12) beat Louisiana-Lafayette (27-14) for the first time in six meetings.

Lynch’s home run snapped a personal 0-for-10 streak and gave the Golden Eagles the lead for good. After Hunter Slater doubled, Scott homered over the left field fence for a 7-2 lead.

Dylan Burdeaux finished with three hits and two runs scored for Southern Miss, and Slater had two hits. USM’s bullpen allowed only two hits and three walks in five scoreless innings. Jake Winston (5-0), the first of four relievers used, pitched 2 1/3 innings to get the win.