Bears lose season opener at Mississippi Gulf Coast

Saturday January 27,2024

Perkinston, MS: Baseball 

The Baton Rouge Bears opened their 2024 campaign on the road at Mississippi Gulf Coast. This was the 58th time the Bears and Bulldogs met on the diamond. The Bears led the ball game until the bottom of the eighth when the Bulldogs would hit a grand slam to left field taking the 8 to 7 lead. The Bears would threaten in the ninth but would leave runners stranded at the corners thus falling 8-7, this afternoon in Perkinston. 

The Bears would get on the board first with two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Tanner Hornback would get on base with a single up the middle and would be brought home by a double from Ryan Richard and a Bulldog's error. Richard would score on a sac fly by Braden McLin.

The Bulldogs would respond, in the bottom of the second, with a run of their own but they still trailed 2-1 after the first inning.

In second inning, Barrett Hebert led off with a walk and John Touchet would hit a single up the middle to have Bears on first and second. A wild pitch would move Bear's runners up 90 feet to second and third   Lane Patin would hit a sac fly to center field scoring Hebert to increase the Bears lead to 3-1.

In the bottom of the frame, the Bulldogs would load the bases with one out. Reid Godchaux would strike the next Bulldog out he faced  but he would walk the following Bulldog to drive in a run. After two innings the Bears led 3-2.

In the top of third inning,Ryan Richard would hit a shot off the center field wall and he would hustle into third.  Richard would score on a wild pitch to increase the Bears led to 4-2. 

In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs get back to back extra base hits to drive across a run. After four innings the Bears led the Bulldogs 4-3. 

Both teams would be held scoreless for the next three innings.

The Bears would look to have scored a run, in the top of the fifth, when Tanner Hornback would single down the left field line scoring Touchet but the home plate umpire, with a delayed call, called the ball foul.  The Bears would try to steal third but would be caught stealing to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth inning, Tanner Hornback would lead off with a single and he would score when Braden McLin would bunt and reach on a Bulldogs fielding error. Jackson Martin would then hit a single to right field scoring Richard and McLin.  The Bears would score three runs in the frame to increase their  lead over the Bulldogs  to 7-3. 

The Bulldogs would load the bases, in the bottom of the eighth inning, with two outs. They would score a run on an infield single. The Bulldogs would then hit a grand slam off Bears pitcher Cade Robin to take an 8 to 7 lead. The Bulldogs would score five runs on three hits and two walks. 

In the ninth inning, the Bears would get two runners on but they could not score. Baton Rouge falls to Mississippi Gulf Coast in the season opener 8 to 7. 

Reid Godchaux started on the mound for the Bears. Reid pitched two innings allowing two runs on 3 hits while 2 walking and striking out 1. Caden Durand (2 innings), Allen Johnson (3 inning), Cade Robin (1 inning ) pitched in relief for the Bears. 

The winning pitch was Cade Madison for the Bulldogs.  The losing pitcher was Cade Robin for the Bears. 

Baton Rouge out hit Mississippi Gulf Coast 10 to 9. The Bears committed one error while the Bulldogs committed three.

Bears Highlights 

Ryan Richard went 2 for 4 with 3 runs, 1 double and 1 triple

Tanner Hornback went 3 for 5 

Braden McLin went 1 for 4 with 1 RBI

Jackson Martin went 1 for 1 with 2 RBIs

Lane Patin had 1 RBI

The Bears will be back in action on Monday  January 29, 2024, when Mississippi Gulf Coast will come to town. First pitch will be at 4 pm at Pete Goldsby Field

With the victory the Bulldogs improve to 1-0 on the season while the Bears  fall to 0-1.  The Bulldogs lead the over series record with 39 wins and 19 losses over the Bears 

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