[04/18/02]HATTIESBURG In the unpredictable world of college baseball, mid-week series like this one are always possible.

One day removed from suffering one of its worst losses in recent memory a 19-2 shellacking Southern Miss rebounded for a 6-3 win over in-state rival Mississippi State in front of 3,835 at Pete Taylor Park.

“They threw a guy I really thought we should have hit well, but we didn’t,” said MSU left fielder Michael Brown, a former Vicksburg High star whose second-inning double gave Mississippi State (22-13-1) a 2-0 lead. “I just don’t think we should have lost tonight. The better team didn’t win.”

Daniel Stewart (3-2) thinks differently.

The senior tossed a complete game, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out one. Relief pitchers worked non-stop in the bullpen from about the fifth inning on, but Stewart got stronger as the night went on.

“My dad told me when I came here that if I ever got the chance to pitch against Mississippi State to shut them down,” said Stewart who helped end a three-game skid for USM (25-14). “I got two wins against them in two years.”

Stewart had more to do with the win than first expected. After Brown’s two-RBI double, USM coach Corky Palmer went to the mound for an early conference. Palmer watched the Bulldogs batter four Golden Eagles’ pitchers for 14 hits and took advantage of 13 walks in Tuesday’s runaway.

“I gave the game to (freshman catcher) Brad Willcutt and Daniel (Stewart),” Palmer said. “I don’t do that much, but they are very smart players. I felt like we hadn’t been in rhythm for two nights with me calling, so I gave them the game. What can you say?”

After the conference, Stewart allowed an unearned run in the top of the sixth after USM’s Clint King homered in the fifth to get to within 2-1.

With Stewart cruising, the Golden Eagles scored four runs off losing pitcher Chris Young (4-1) in the bottom of the sixth for a 5-3 lead.

Clint Stoy’s two-RBI double, a King RBI groundout and a wild pitch gave USM the lead for good.

Southern Miss added a sixth run in the seventh.

Stewart did not allow a hit in the final three innings and faced nine batters over that span.

Brent Lewis had a pair of hits for MSU the only player on either team with more than one hit.

Ex-Vicksburg High standout Robby Goodson threw 11/3 innings of relief, retiring all four batters he faced. He was one of six Bulldogs’ pitchers to throw.

“We hit some balls hard, but they were right at them,” Brown said. “We scored 19 runs last night and three tonight, but that’s baseball.

“If we want to make a run at the World Series, we have to be a more consistent baseball team.”