RUSTON, La. — Southeast Lauderdale High School alumnus Mason Irby, along with Taylor Braley, Matt Wallner and Casey Maack, each homered as Southern Miss held off No. 23 Louisiana Tech in a 13-9 Conference USA baseball victory Saturday afternoon at J.C. Love Field.

The Golden Eagles (15-4, 2-0 C-USA) captured their league-opening series by winning their sixth game in a row. The squad, behind three hits each from Irby, Hunter Slater, Dylan Burdeaux and LeeMarcus Boyd, saw 11 of their 17 knocks go for extra bases.

Louisiana Tech (15-4, 0-2) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on back-to-back home runs by Jordan Washam and Raphael Gladu in the first. Brent Diaz followed with a single for the Bulldogs, before Roberts settled into the game.

From that point, the junior right-hander limited the Bulldogs to just two runs (one earned) on three hits after that point with three walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings to get the victory and improve to 2-1.

Roberts was able to work with the lead after the first as the Golden Eagles exploded for a six-run second.

After a flyout by Wallner, Casey Maack collected his fourth homer in the last five games to put the visitors on the board. LeeMarcus Boyd then doubled and scored one batter later on Burdeaux’s two-base hit. After a walk to Irby, Slater drove in Burdeaux with a double and Taylor Braley blasted a three-run homer to left, his fifth of the year, to give the Golden Eagles the 6-2 advantage.

Irby then extended the lead two inning later with his first homer of the year, a two-run shot to right, scoring Boyd who opened the inning with a single.

After Louisiana Tech cut the gap to 8-3 in the bottom of the frame, Boyd and Irby increased the lead to 10-3 as each tallied run-scoring singles. A two-run homer by Wallner over the tall centerfield wall in the sixth made the score 12-3, before Louisiana Tech began to fight.

The Bulldogs scored once in the sixth and seventh frames and then added two more in the eighth and plated two more tallies in the ninth, on four Southern Miss hurlers, before Nick Sandlin was called in to close out the game.

With two runners on, Sandlin walked the first batter before getting Sean Ullrich to strike out to end the game and earn his second save of the year.

Bulldog starter Austin Harrison (1-1) allowed six runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 1 2/3 innings of work to suffer the loss.

The Golden Eagles now go after the three-game sweep with a 1 p.m., contest Sunday against the Bulldogs. 

VANDERBILT 6, OLE MISS 2

OXFORD — After going 48 consecutive innings without allowing a run, the No. 14 Ole Miss baseball team saw its streak come to an end Saturday afternoon at Swayze Field. With the wind blowing out to right field, No. 15 Vanderbilt used its lefty-heavy lineup to hit three home runs and take game two of the conference series, 6-2. The setback also ended a five-game winning streak for the Rebels (13-6, 1-1 SEC).

The Commodores (13-7, 1-1 SEC) scored three runs in the fourth to end a scoreless streak of 48 innings by Rebel pitching. Brady Feigl (2-2) allowed four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of work as an Ole Miss starter surrendered a run for the first time in 52 2/3 innings over the past eight games.

Will Golsan went 2-for-4 as the leadoff hitter to pace the Ole Miss bats. Thomas Dillard added a homer for the Rebels, his third of the season.

Left-handed hitters Will Toffey, Stephen Scott and Jeren Kendall accounted for the three Vanderbilt home runs, all to right field. Righty Patrick Raby (3-2) earned the win, giving up two runs on four hits in six innings.

Both teams will attempt to win the SEC opening series tomorrow in the rubber match. The top-15 battle will air live at 3 p.m. on SEC Network, the first nationally televised game of the season for Ole Miss. Two freshmen will battle it out on the mound as Will Ethridge makes the first weekend start of his young Rebel career, going against Vanderbilt freshman Drake Fellows.

MISSOURI 7, ALABAMA 4 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama baseball fell 7-4 to Missouri as the Tigers’ three-run sixth proved the difference in Saturday’s matchup at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The loss moves the Crimson Tide to 10-9 on the season, 0-2 in SEC play.

“You look at those last nine outs, besides that one pop-up, and we had some really good at-bats,” said Alabama head coach Greg Goff. “I was really pleased with how our guys didn’t give up today. I think our team is resilient, and we were one knock away from tying the game up. Defensively and pitching-wise, we kept letting them get out in front and hopefully, tomorrow, we can put some zeroes up early.”

Missouri jumped out to a two-run lead after the first half inning, but Alabama answered with one run of its own in the bottom of the second. The teams matched with two runs apiece in the top and bottom of the fourth before the Tigers’ three-run sixth pushed MU out front for the win. The Tide plated one in the bottom of the eighth, but three hard-hit balls to the outfield could not find open space and ended the Alabama comeback effort.

Kyle Kaufman went 2-for-4 with a home run for Alabama and was the Crimson Tide’s only multiple hitter. Cody Henry and Hunter Alexander both had doubles. Alabama starter Dylan Duarte suffered the loss on the mound, going 3 1/3 innings and surrendering four runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

Sunday’s series finale is set for a noon start at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Alabama will look to senior right-hander Nick Eicholtz, while Missouri calls on junior righty Andy Toelken on Sunday. Fans can watch the final game of this weekend’s conference series live on SEC Network.

ARKANSAS 5, MISSISSIPPI STATE 4 

A five-run second inning for Arkansas proved the difference as Mississippi State dropped its second game in a row on SEC opening weekend.

Peyton Plumlee (2-1) took the loss for the Bulldogs on the mound, surrendering five runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings of work. He issued two walks, struck out one and allowed two home runs.

A the plate, leadoff hitting Jake Mangum went 2-for-5, and Brent Rooker was 2-for-3.

Trevor Stephan got the win for Arkansas, throwing 6 1/3 innings and giving up four runs, two earned, on seven hits and one walk. He also struck out eight.

Game 3 of the series will be at 1 p.m. today.