BILOXI, Miss. – No. 19-ranked Mississippi State sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring five runs, but it was not enough to knock out Southeastern Louisiana or starting pitcher Corey Gaconi in an 11-5 Lion win Wednesday at MGM Park.
 
Southeastern (13-6) rebounded as they have done several times in the past couple weeks, mounting multiple rallies to tie and then put away the Bulldogs (10-7). The win over Mississippi State is the sixth straight for the Lions dating back to the 2010 season.
 
After getting the final out of the first, Gaconi (1-0) did not allow another runner to reach until the seventh.
 
As Gaconi was retiring 17 consecutive Bulldog hitters, Southeastern scored 10 unanswered runs to regain the lead.
 
Mississippi State starting pitcher Cole Marsh hit Trenon Trosclair with a pitch to open up the third inning. The right-hander walked Brennan Breaud and Cody Grosse, back-to-back, before exiting. Drew Avans, the reigning Southland Conference Hitter of the Week, ripped a one-out triple off reliever Denver McQuary and then scored on Mike Taylor's groundout to tie the game.
 
Southeastern regained the lead with three runs in the sixth.
 
Taylor lined a leadoff triple to center field and scored on Daniel Wasinger's single to left. Wasinger scored from first on Kyle Schimpf's double into the right-center field gap. Schimpf scored when Breaud pulled a single through the right side of a drawn-in infield.
 
The Lions completed the scoring in the seventh on Schimpf's three-run home run to right field.
 
All Mississippi State could muster off Gaconi after the first inning was a pair of singles, one of them being erased on a double play.
 
The junior right-hander from Metairie, Louisiana, earned the win, tossing the second complete game of his career. He allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out four.
 
Bulldog reliever Keegan James (1-2) was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs in 0.1 innings.
 
Taylor Schwaner (2-for-3), Schimpf (2-for-5), Taylor (2-for-5) and Wasinger (2-for-5) led the Lions at the plate. Schimpf (4) and Avans (3) each drove in multiple runs.
 
Southeastern continues its six-game road trip Friday in Beaumont, Texas, opening a three-game series at Southland Conference-foe Lamar.
 
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