Cory Gill gave up four first inning runs as the Troy Trojans lost 7-3 to the third-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs on Wednesday.

“It was a disappointing loss,” said Trojans head coach Mark Smartt. “We got off to a poor start, but I was kind of pleased with how we hung in there. It could’ve gotten away from us, but our bullpen did a great job at keeping us in the game.”

The Trojans (27-23) were able to scatter six hits throughout the game but continued to struggle with scoring. In their last six games heading into Wednesday the Trojans only managed to score 16 runs.

They stranded 10 runners on base including the bases loaded twice.

“Baseball is a funny game,” Smartt said. “All our kids want to be there and get the big hit. Sometimes in baseball you want it so much you try too hard. The message is ‘you have to try easier’ and that doesn’t really equate. There is a lot of pressure when you’re not scoring … sooner or later someone is going to step up and get the big hit.”

The Trojans had five pitchers hit the mound during the loss. The bullpen pitched a total of 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball.

“I couldn’t have been prouder of Marc Skinner, Trey Johns and Houston Mabray, who got an inning out of his weekend start, and Corey to finish,” Smartt said. “They were terrific. When you get behind all you can ask your pitching staff to do is hold them down so you can try and mount a comeback. We did that and unfortunately weren’t able to push the runs across to get even. They more than did their part.”

The Bulldogs scored four runs in the first inning. Gavin Collins started the scoring when he hit a ground rule double down the left field line that scored Jack Krueger. Brent Rooker and Reid Humphrey singled and Collins scored on a wild pitch.

After the Bulldogs tacked on two more runs in the second on two hits, the Trojans got on the board in the second inning when Chase Smartt grounded out to short to score TJ Binder.

The Bulldogs returned the favor in the fourth inning when Jake Mangum doubled to right field to score Ryan Gridley.

Skinner came in and pitched for the Trojans in the third, lasting 2.2 innings without allowing a run on two hits.

The Trojans scored a run in both the sixth and eighth innings. Trevor Davis grounded out to shortstop to score Joey Dennison and Binder singled up the middle to score Windham Jackson.

The Trojans finished with six hits on the night led by Binder who finished with two hits. Lockridge, Denison, Tripp Calhoun and Smartt all had hits.

The Trojans will jump back into conference play on Friday night when they travel to Georgia to take on Georgia State at 6 p.m.