STARKVILLE, Miss. – Saint Louis grabbed a first-inning lead against Mississippi State, but the host Bulldogs came back to post an 8-3 victory over the Billikens Sunday afternoon in the finale of the Bulldog Kickoff Classic.

The Billikens concluded the season-opening tournament 3-2, while Mississippi State improved to 5-0.

Saint Louis started with a bang in the first inning. Alex Nickel led off with a single, and Mackenzie Peter followed with her first home run of the season.

Mississippi State tallied twice in the bottom of the first and plated single runs in the second and third innings to take a 4-2 lead. The Bulldogs made it 6-2 by scoring twice in the fourth.

Pinch hitter Breanna Lockette poked her first career home run leading off the fifth, but Mississippi State got the run back in the bottom of the frame and added an insurance marker in the sixth.

Peter also registered a double, while Elizabeth Everingham, Brianna Lore and Hailey Weavers had a single apiece.