SAN MARCOS, Texas – Sophomore Samson Pugh was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to bring home the game-winning run in a thrilling 11-10 victory Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark over 23rd-ranked Southern Miss.

The win sees the Bobcats improve to 17-18 overall and 7-8 in the Sun Belt Conference while the Golden Eagles are now 24-12 on the season and 10-5 in league action.

Carson Laws (3-0) threw the last 3.2 innings with four strikeouts to pick up the victory. Taking the loss was Colby Allen (3-4) after he allowed five runs on four hits and two walks in two innings of work.

Getting the start on the rubber was Shane Connell, who struck out three and allowed three runs in 2.2 innings. Matthew Tippie had three strikeouts in 2.1 innings and Braylen Timmons' only out on the rubber came via a punch out.

Rashawn Galloway finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI and scored once. Also driving in three runs was Pugh, who scored twice and finished with two base knocks including a home run. Ryne Farber hit two doubles and Ian Collier had two base knocks, including a two-bagger, while both scored once and drove in a run.

Farber led off the bottom of the first with a double to left and he moved within 90 feet of scoring on a Chase Mora sacrifice bunt. Alan Shibley went the other way for an RBI double. A single back up the middle off the bat of Ian Collier doubled the lead. The final run of the frame came on a single through the right side by Galloway.

In the second, Farber hit a double to left center that allowed Pugh to score from first to increase the advantage to 4-0.

USM made it a one-run game in the third thanks to a Nick Monistere two-run homer and an error that allowed a third run to score.

Cole Tabor singled to left center with one gone in the next half inning and Galloway followed with another single through the right side of the infield. A 0-1 offering to Zachary Gingrich was crushed 419 feet to center field. The ball appeared to clear the wall and hit off a hard surface due to the awkward bounce but it was ruled to have not cleared the wall. That resulted in Gingrich settling for a two-run triple to make it a 6-3 advantage.

The Golden Eagles would get a run back in the fifth on a Matthew Russo solo home run. Monistere hit a three-run homer to center field to put the visitors in front. Another three-run frame in the seventh put USM ahead by four.

Facing a 0-2 count in the bottom of the eighth, Pugh got a hanging breaking ball from Allen and did not miss. The Montgomery, Texas native smacked the ball 357 feet into the netting above the left field wall for a two-run homer that cut the deficit in half.

The bottom of the ninth began with Mora going the other way for a single. Two batters later, Collier hit a deep ball to center field for a double to put two in scoring position. Galloway was down to his last strike with two outs and sent a 0-2 pitch back up the middle that tied the game.

Caden Baker came on as a pinch runner and stole second. Gingrich was able to work a free pass that forced USM to make a pitching change. Josh Och had a full count with Dawson Park at the plate and hit the freshman in the back to load the bases. After three straight balls to Pugh, Och plunked the sophomore in the back for the walk-off victory.

The Bobcats are home on Tuesday when they host Houston Christian with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.

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