MONROE, La. — Southern Miss is picking up steam at exactly the right time.

Dustin Dickerson drove in four runs, Christopher Sargent was 3-for-5 with a solo home run, and Southern Miss pulled away late Friday to beat Louisiana-Monroe 8-4 for its 11th win in a row.

Carson Paetow broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run single in the sixth inning and finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. The Golden Eagles (33-15, 18-7 Sun Belt Conference) added two more runs in the sixth, and Dickerson’s bases-loaded double in the eighth put them ahead 8-2.

Tanner Hall (10-3) allowed two runs in seven strong innings pitched for Southern Miss. He finished with 10 strikeouts, while giving up four hits and two walks.

Riley Davis had two hits for Louisiana-Monroe (16-33, 5-19) and Jarrett McDonald had two RBIs.
Southern Miss and ULM will play game two of their three-game series Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

LSU 12, Mississippi State 1
Tommy White hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, the last of four homers that No. 2 LSU hit on Friday night, to finish the Tigers’ run-rule victory against Mississippi State (24-24, 6-19 Southeastern Conference).

Gavin Dugas went 4-for-4 with a home run, triple, and four runs scored for LSU (39-10, 17-7). White finished with three hits and three RBIs, and Brayden Jobert and Jordan Thompson also homered. Tre’ Morgan was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Ross Highfill hit a solo home run in the sixth inning for Mississippi State. It was one of only three hits against LSU ace Paul Skenes. Skenes (10-1) pitched a seven-inning complete game and struck out 13 batters.

Mississippi State lost its seventh game in a row. It has allowed 10 runs or more in five of those losses. The Bulldogs will try to end the skid in game two of the series Saturday at 6 p.m. in Baton Rouge. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.

Auburn 16, Ole Miss 4
Cole foster went 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs, and Kason Howell was 4-for-4 with four RBIs as Auburn (28-19-1, 12-13 SEC) ripped Ole Miss 16-4 Friday in Oxford.

Howell hit an RBI double in the second inning and then a bases-clearing double in the sixth as Auburn pulled away late and won via the run rule in eight innings. Foster’s three run home run in the top of the eighth capped a three-inning surge in which the Tigers cored nine unanswered runs.

Anthony Calarco was 3-for-5 with two RBIs for Ole Miss (25-24, 6-19).