MONTGOMERY, Miss. (Interstat) — In a Southwestern Athletic Conference game defined by a chaotic first inning and a relentless late push, Mississippi Valley State outlasted Alcorn State 13-10 on Thursday at Foster Baseball Field at McGowan Stadium.

The Delta Devils (10-17) seized immediate control, plating three runs in the top of the first inning before Alcorn State (2-25) recorded an out. Tanner Aoki walked and scored on Cody Leming’s double down the left-field line. Leming later scored on Chris Soeder’s double, and Soeder came home on a passed ball to stake Mississippi Valley State to a 3-0 lead.

The Braves answered with a run in the bottom half on Keatan Hawk’s sacrifice fly, but the Delta Devils’ early outburst set a tone for an afternoon and evening where the visitors consistently held the advantage.

The most important sequence of the game came in the top of the fifth inning, extending Mississippi Valley State’s lead to 5-1. With two outs and two runners on base following a walk and an error, designated hitter Tom Early delivered a pivotal two-run triple down the left-field line. Early, the top star for the Delta Devils, finished 2 for 5 with four RBIs, continuing a strong stretch at the plate.

Alcorn State chipped away, highlighted by Gavin Caston’s two-run homer to left field in the fourth inning that cut the deficit to 4-3. The Braves kept pressure on, but Mississippi Valley State repeatedly responded. A three-run sixth inning, fueled by a Cody Leming RBI single and two Alcorn State errors, pushed the lead to 8-4.

The Delta Devils broke the game open in the eighth. Leming, who was 3 for 4 with two RBIs, singled and scored, and Kendall Brookins scored after singling and stealing second. Both came home on a two-run single by Tom Early, making it 12-6.

Alcorn State mounted a serious threat in the bottom of the ninth, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs. With the bases loaded and one out, Rayfield Adams III singled to left, driving in two to make it 13-10. However, reliever Chris Brown entered and recorded the final two outs, securing the win after getting Cooper Harris to ground out to the pitcher.

Both teams collected 12 hits. Devin Kriley took the loss for Alcorn State, allowing five runs, three earned, on four hits over 4 2/3 innings. A trio of Mississippi Valley State pitchers — Gage Deutsch, Logan Darnell and Brown — combined for eight innings of relief, allowing six runs while scattering seven hits.

The victory completed a three-game SWAC series sweep for the Delta Devils over the Braves, following two wins on Wednesday. Mississippi Valley State travels to face Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday. Alcorn State visits Mississippi on Tuesday.