HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Texas State kept its hopes alive for qualifying for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament alive with a 7-5 win over Southern Miss in the series opener. The contest began on Thursday but was halted in the bottom of the eighth due to weather and was finished on Friday.
 
With the win, the Bobcats improved to 27-27 overall and 13-15 in the conference while the Golden Eagles drop to 35-18 on the season and 18-10 in league play.
 
Cameron Bush (2-0) threw five innings and struck out four with one run allowed to pick up the win. Earning his first career save was Tony Robie after working the final two frames without giving up a run. Taking the loss was Billy Oldham (7-2) as he gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings of work.
 
At the plate, Aaron Lugo went 3-for-5 with five RBI, two doubles and one stolen base. Both Ryne Farber and Daylan Pena had two base knocks apiece with one double while Chase Mora finished with two singles and scored twice.
 
Kameron Weil swiped two bases to give him 11 on the season. It is the second straight year he has recorded double-digit stolen bases.
 
With one gone in the first, Mora singled to left and Farber followed by doubling off the right center wall. Lugo then laced a 2-2 pitch down the third baseline four another double that plated both runners and gave Texas State an early 1-0 advantage.
 
The third inning saw Mora and Farber hit back-to-back singles with one out. Lugo made it three consecutive singles with his base knock bringing home Mora to increase the lead to 3-0.
 
USM recorded three straight hits with two outs in the fifth to score once. The frame ended as Pena threw out Davis Gillespie at second while trying to extend his base knock for an extra base.
 
In the next half inning, Davis Powell led off with a single and Patino executed a perfect hit-and-run play for another single that put runners on the corners. A double by Pena to left center brought home a run and Alex Gonzales followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in another.
 
Weil would get hit by a pitch and Farber worked a walk to load the bases. A 2-1 offering to Lugo was sent down the left field line for a double, his second of the game and fifth over the past two contests, to bring in two more runs and increase the advantage to 7-1.
 
The Eagles responded in the bottom of the sixth with three runs and one in the seventh to make it a two-run contest.
 
At 9:08 p.m., the game was suspended due to lightning and inclement weather with it resuming at 2:04 p.m. on Friday. Robie took over on the mound and induced three ground balls to get out of the eighth. He would close out the game with a strikeout for the series opening victory.
 
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