PEARL — Mississippi State carried its hot streak into May.

The Bulldogs scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, and five pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts as they beat Ole Miss 5-1 in the annual Governor’s Cup game at Trustmark Park.

Mississippi State (30-15) won for the eighth time in nine games. It also won for the 11th time in the last 16 Governor’s Cup games, the annual midweek match-up of the in-state Southeastern Conference rivals.

The Bulldogs used a bit of hustle and smallball tactics to break a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning. Connor Husjak went from first to third base on a wild pitch, then scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice by Logan Kohler.

The Bulldogs broke it open with a couple more runs after that. Bryce Chance drew a bases-loaded walk and David Mershon followed with a two-run double that made it 5-1.

Dakota Jordan finished with three hits for Mississippi State, and Hunter Hines was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Judd Utermark hit a solo home run in the second inning for Ole Miss’ only run.

Ole Miss (23-21) has lost three of its last four games. It’ll go on the road for a three-game SEC series against Auburn (21-22) beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

No. 16 Mississippi State will continue its late-season push toward an NCAA Tournament berth and possibly a regional host site when it plays No. 23 Alabama (28-16) this weekend at Dudy Noble Field. It’s the first of two back-to-back series against ranked SEC opponents, with a road trip to No. 2 Arkansas May 10-12.