Southwest splits Gulf Coast
Published 7:00 pm Friday, March 29, 2013
The Southwest Bears rode the bats of Kendric Hodges and Zach Jones and arm of Trace Robinson to take an 8-1 South Division win in game two of their doubleheader at Mississippi Gulf Coast Tuesday evening. Gulf Coast picked up a 7-2 win in the opener.
Hodges and Jones both tallied three hits in the win, Hodges with three runs batted in, while Robinson tossed a complete game on the mound to record the victory.
A Southwest error allowed Gulf Coast (16-12, 3-5) to pick up their only run, and take a 1-0 lead, in the bottom of the first inning of game two. The Bears tied the game in their half of the second when Anthony Durr reached base on a two-out single. He moved to second on Jones’ hit then scored on an Andrew Hulbert single.
Southwest (10-17, 1-6) went up 2-1 in the third when Logan Ferrell led off with a walk, moved to second on a Kade Scivicque single and scored on Hodges’ hit to right field. A two-out, bases-loaded walk to Scivicque in the top of the fourth forced Hulbert to the plate and extended the Bears’ lead to 3-1.
The Bears extended their lead to 5-1 in the fifth inning. Collin Carroll started off the frame by being hit by a pitch and later scored on Jones’ hit to left. Anthony Durr, on base with a single, scored the second run with two outs when Ferrell reached base on a Gulf Coast error.
The Bears added their final three runs in the seventh inning. Jones led off the inning with a single and later scored, along with Ferrell, on Hodges’ two-out hit to left. One batter later, Marvin Van Buren raced to the plate on a Gulf Coast error.
Robinson went the distance on the mound to record the victory. Scattering eight hits over his seven innings, he allowed only the one run while striking out three. He issued no bases on balls.
Hulbert and Scivicque both had two singles for the Bears while Brandon Austin also hit safely.
Jones was responsible for the Bears’ only run in the opener. With the Bears trailing 4-0 in the top of the fifth, Jones lofted a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall. Scoring ahead of Jones was Patric Devlin, who had led off the inning with a single. Gulf Coast then added a solo run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Starter Jesse Travis took the loss on the mound for Southwest. Going 4.2 innings, he gave up five runs on five hits while striking out one and walking two. Jared Simon pitched the rest of the game for Bears, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits. He had two strikeouts and walked one.
Jones added a single in the game. Austin, Carroll and Hulbert also singled in the game.
Southwest returns home for a South Division doubleheader against the Hinds Eagles, today. The first pitch of game one is set for 2 p.m.