HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — Blake Simpson’s tiebreaking two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning capped a four-run outburst that lifted Arkansas-Little Rock to a 7-4 victory over Southern Mississippi on Friday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park.

The Trojans, now 37-26, erased a 4-3 deficit in the final frame. Nolan Freund singled home the tying run before Simpson connected for his third homer of the season, scoring Freund from first base. Simpson finished 3 for 4 with a double, a home run and two runs batted in. Freund also went 3 for 5 with two RBIs, and Jerdy Lopez added three hits in five at-bats.

Arkansas-Little Rock starter Brannon Westmoreland threw five innings, allowing three earned runs on two home runs while striking out five. He did not allow a hit. Gage Haley followed with two scoreless innings, striking out two, and Tag Andrews earned the save with two innings of relief, giving up one earned run on a home run while striking out two.

Southern Mississippi, which fell to 44-16, took a 3-1 lead in the fifth on Joey Urban’s two-run homer to center field. Urban finished 1 for 3 with two RBIs. Kyle Morrison had tied the game at 1 in the third with his 17th home run of the season, a solo shot to left center. Morrison was 1 for 4 with an RBI.

The Trojans pulled within 3-2 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Rhoades that scored Simpson. In the eighth, a run-scoring groundout by Cano tied the game at 3. Southern Mississippi answered in the bottom of the inning when Davis Gillespie hit his 14th home run, a solo shot to left field, to put the Golden Eagles ahead 4-3. Gillespie finished 2 for 4 with an RBI.

The top of the ninth proved decisive. With one out, Chaplain singled and Lopez flied out. Smith then doubled to center field, advancing Chaplain to third. Chaplain scored on a wild pitch, and Smith took third. Freund singled up the middle, scoring Smith to put the Trojans ahead 5-4. Simpson then homered to left field, extending the lead to 7-4. The inning ended when Geck and Cano struck out looking.

Southern Mississippi threatened in the bottom of the ninth with a bunt single from Stockman, but Long struck out swinging and Smith grounded into a double play to end the game.

Camden Clark started for the Golden Eagles, allowing two earned runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.

Arkansas-Little Rock outhit Southern Mississippi 14-9. The Trojans also got three hits from Lopez, who doubled twice, and three hits from Freund. Simpson’s multihit game included a double and the go-ahead homer.

The game, played under sunny skies with a first pitch at 12:06 p.m., lasted nine innings. Arkansas-Little Rock improved to 2-1 in its last three games following a 10-6 win at Eastern Illinois on May 24. Southern Mississippi had won three of its previous four contests before the loss.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Southern Mississippi 7, Arkansas-Little Rock 6. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Southern Mississippi with an 83 percent probability to win.