Southern Arkansas tops Mississippi College 9-4 despite Choctaw home runs

Clinton, Miss. — Mississippi College baseball team fell 9-4 to Southern Arkansas on Tuesday at Frierson Field-Dickins-Scoper Stadium. The Choctaws now hold a 7-9 record this season, while the Muleriders improve to 10-5, according to school officials.

Will Langston led the Choctaws with two solo home runs. The freshman from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, hit his first in the bottom of the first inning, cutting the early deficit to 4-1. He connected for his second homer in the eighth inning. Langston is second on the team with four homers behind Alex Johnson, who has six.

Southern Arkansas jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the first inning. Preston Smith singled, stole second and scored on Wyatt Fielding’s double. RBI hits from Michael Herndon and David Chandler extended the lead to 4-0. Langston’s solo shot followed, making it 4-1 after one inning.

The Muleriders added to their lead in the fourth, with Fielding hitting a two-run homer. Mississippi College responded with a run in the sixth when Tyler Sanderson singled and scored on an error. Southern Arkansas answered with solo home runs from Tate Elliott and Smith, pushing their lead to 8-2. Murphy stole home in the seventh to reduce the deficit, and Langston’s second homer in the eighth made it 9-4.

Starting pitcher Connor Pittman took the loss for the Choctaws, allowing four earned runs in 2.1 innings. Six pitchers appeared for Mississippi College, with Dylan Cope and Davis Wells combining for 1.2 innings of relief. Eli Berry earned the win for Southern Arkansas, his first of the season, pitching five innings and striking out one.

The Choctaws will host Union on Friday for a three-game Gulf South Conference series, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m., officials said.

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