Southwest Mississippi’s baseball team kicked off the season with a 3-2 walk-off win in the 11th inning over the Baton Rouge Community College Bears.
A defensive battle led to a low scoring game between the teams.
Southwest went up 2-0 in the third inning and held that lead until Baton Rouge scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie it up at 2-2.
Southwest utilized nine different pitchers, only allowing two hits through eight innings of the game.
Matt Newman, Andrew Hoff, Dom Smith, Konnor Cazenave and Wyatt Garrett each recorded a strikeout.
Garrett came on in the ninth inning and finished out the game through extra innings, pitching three total innings. After allowing 2 runs in the ninth, Garrett held Baton Rouge to two scoreless extra innings.
In the bottom of the 11th, lead-off hitter Tanner Moore got on base with a bunt single and put himself in position to be the winning run. Moore stole second then advanced to third after tagging up on a pop-out by Cam Bolden.
With a runner on third, Justin Domiano took his spot at the plate with a chance to win the game. On a 2-2 count, Domiano drilled a ground ball straight to the shortstop, reaching first base in the process while Tanner Moore scored the winning run at home giving the Southwest Bears a 3-2 victory over Baton Rouge in the bottom of the 11th inning.
“I was very proud of the fight shown by our guys tonight. We were up all night and Baton Rouge scored two in the ninth to tie it. We did a good job of staying in the moment and making pitches and plays when needed,” head coach Jack Edmonson said. “We had at least three chances to walk it off before we did but the ball didn’t bounce our way. Justin Domiano was finally able to smoke a ball to shortstop for the game winner.”
“I thought we pitched really well and played great defense all night. We turned four double plays. More hits will come. Proud of being 1-0,” Edmonson said.
Southwest Baseball will be back on the road Tuesday, February 3rd, when they take on Belhaven University in Jackson.
