Blake Simpson hit a two-run home run to cap a four-run ninth inning, leading Little Rock to a 7-4 upset over Southern Miss on Friday in the opening game of the Hattiesburg Regional at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Simpson finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Nolan Freund went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, including the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth that gave the Trojans a 5-4 lead. Jerdy Lopez added three hits, while Kade Smith contributed two hits. Starting pitcher Brannon Westmoreland worked five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out five.

Southern Miss scored all of its runs via the long ball. Davis Gillespie, who went 2-for-4, hit a solo home run in the eighth that gave the Golden Eagles a 4-3 lead. Joey Urban hit a two-run homer in the fifth to put Southern Miss ahead 3-1, and Kyle Morrison tied the score at 1-1 with a solo shot in the third. Seth Smith added two hits.

The Trojans struck first in the third inning on an RBI single from Freund. After Morrison's homer tied it, Urban's two-run blast in the fifth gave the Golden Eagles the lead. Little Rock scored on a sacrifice fly by Ty Rhoades in the sixth and tied the score 3-3 in the eighth on a groundout by Angel Cano. After Gillespie's homer put Southern Miss back on top, Little Rock mounted its winning rally in the ninth. A wild pitch tied the score at 4-4 before Freund's single and Simpson's subsequent two-run homer secured the victory.

Up next: Regional play in the NCAA baseball tournament continues Saturday.

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