Mississippi State's Big 8th Inning Dooms Ole Miss in Governor's Cup Matchup

A four-run eighth inning from the Mississippi State Bulldogs propelled them to midweek win over the Ole Miss Rebels.

Ole Miss RHP Grayson Saunier on Wednesday night against Mississippi State / Ole Miss Athletics

The Ole Miss Rebels dropped their annual Governor's Cup matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Wednesday night, falling 5-1 in Pearl, Mississippi.

After an early homerun off the bat of Judd Utermark gave the Rebels a one-run lead early in the ball game, the Rebels looked like they had maybe turned the page after a disappointing end to the series against Alabama last weekend. The early bomb was the only offense the Ole Miss bats could muster, however, as the lack of hitting with runners on continues to plague this offense.

Grayson Saunier turned in a nice game on the bump, seeming to find his stuff after a couple of rocky outings earlier in conference play. Saunier left the game after going four scoreless, only allowing four hits and one free pass.

Dakota Jordan continues to show why he is one of the better players in the SEC with a 3-for-5 night for Mississippi State, and Hunter Hines came through with a single off of Gunnar Dennis to knot the score at one in the fifth.

Later in the contest, the Bulldogs put together quality at-bats and swings with two outs and put pressure on the Rebel bullpen. State scored its runs in the eighth inning on a fielder's choice, a bases-loaded walk, and a double to right center to put the game out of reach.

The loss is a missed opportunity for Ole Miss, but it does not count in the Southeastern Conference standings. The Rebels travel to The Plains this weekend in a continuation of conference play and will take on Auburn in the midst of a rocky season for the Tigers.

The series will open on Friday at 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.