Moore’s late RBI double propels Polk to one last win over Ole Miss

PEARL — Mississippi State hasn’t had much luck against Ole Miss the last few years.

When Ron Polk lights up a cigar and thinks back about his last game against the Bulldogs’ archrivals, however, he’ll be able to crack a smile.

Tyler Moore’s RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning brought in the go-ahead run, and Aaron Weatherford pitched a scoreless ninth as Mississippi State beat Ole Miss 6-5 in a wild Governor’s Cup game at Trustmark Park on Tuesday.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak for State (15-21), and was a rare victory against the Rebels. Ole Miss (24-13) had won 15 of its previous 21 meetings with the Bulldogs, although State won the last two and split the season series. Polk was happy just to get any kind of win after a rough first half of the season.

State’s starting lineup was its 25th different one in 36 games, thanks largely to injuries.

“A lot of people think we have to win for (assistant coach) Tommy (Raffo) or the staff, but we just have to win. We’ve been dealt a tough deck,” Polk said.

The game featured five lead changes, three of them in the last four innings, and two ties. Ole Miss tied it 5-5 in the top of the eighth when Logan Power stole third and scored on a wild throw, but it didn’t take Mississippi State long to regain the lead.

Grant Hogue and Ryan Collins led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk and a single, respectively. Hogue went to third on a flyout to right, and cleanup hitter Moore stepped into the box. He sliced the second pitch he saw from Justin Cryer down the right field line, bringing in Hogue with the go-ahead run.

“He had thrown the first one high. I was sitting on a fastball and he brought it,” said Moore, who was 2-for-4 in the game, with a double, single, RBI and a run scored.

Weatherford allowed a one-out single to Tim Ferguson in the ninth, but otherwise slammed the door. He struck out three of the six batters he faced to run his season total to 30 in only 14 2/3 innings. In Tuesday’s game, Weatherford (1-0) earned the win by going 1 2/3 innings and allowing only the one hit.

“It feels good to be back,” said Weatherford, who missed most of the first half of the season with a shoulder injury. “I was on the shelf, but I did a good job to stay in shape and work my arm.”

For Ole Miss, this was a game that coach Mike Bianco felt was given away by his team.

The Rebels gave up two unearned runs on three errors, failed to hold a 4-3 lead after six innings, and managed only seven hits. It added up to the Rebels’ second straight loss after a nine-game winning streak.

“Defensively, we just gave them too many opportunities. A game like this, that’s going to be low-scoring, you’ve got to play defense well and we didn’t do that,” Bianco said. “We gave them some unearned runs, but more important than that was we gave them too many opportunities.”

Mississippi State starter Tyler Whitney held the Rebels to three hits and one run through the first five innings before tiring in the sixth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, and Whitney gave way to former Porters Chapel star Michael Busby. Ole Miss’ Cody Overbeck launched a ball to the warning track to greet Busby. It was caught, but Fuller Smith scored to cut State’s lead to 3-2.

After a fielder’s choice cut down a run at the plate, Bianco sent Cullan Kight in to pinch-hit for designated hitter Kyle Mills. Mills had doubled in his first two at-bats, but doesn’t hit right-handers well. Bianco sent Kight in to face Busby, just as Polk countered with left-hander Forrest Moore. Kight still made the move work, singling up the middle to plate two runs and put Ole Miss ahead 4-3.

“I’m always ready on the bench,” Kight said. “Coach likes to play match-ups, righty on lefty. I had to battle.”

USM 11, Miss. Valley 0

Southern Miss pounded out a season-high 16 hits Tuesday night to give Corky Palmer his 400th career win as the head coach at Southern Miss.

Three Southern Miss pitchers combined for a complete-game, four-hit shutout.

Freshman Seth Hester worked five innings in his first career start scattering four hits and striking out five. He did not allow his first hit until the third inning. Collin Cargill worked three innings in relief without a hit and struck out three. J.R. Ballinger worked the ninth inning without allowing a hit.

James Ewing led Southern Miss with four hits and six RBIs. Drew Carson and Brian Dozier both added in two hits and two RBIs.