By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer
The Victoria Generals gave the Baton Rouge Rougarou a little help Saturday night.
Three Generals pitchers walked 14 batters and hit one while the Victoria defense committed five errors. But the Rougarou could manage only three hits and left nine runners stranded on the way to an 11-5 loss Saturday night at Riverside Stadium.
The Rougarou were held hitless by Bombers starter Travis Phelps, who struck out nine through his five innings of work. He walked five, though, and after walking J.T. Taylor in the sixth, he finally gave up a single to Landry Wilkerson. That ended Phelps’ night.
After that the Rougarou managed only two more hits off of reliever Jared Barta — successive triples to Elliot Hebert and J.R. Taylor in the top of the eighth inning. Taylor drove in Hebert and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wilkerson.
Rougarou pitchers Chris Tonna (L), Antoine Harris and Ethan Brister gave up 11 runs, all earned, on 11 hits. They walked eight and struck out five.
Baton Rouge jumped out early thanks to Generals miscues, with leadoff man Reed Eason reaching first on an error. Hebert was hit by a pitch then Taylor walked to load the bases. Eason would score on a wild pitch.
The Generals came back with a run in the bottom of the first and added another in the second, but the Rougarou tied it at 2-2 in the fourth, again with the help of some free passes. Wilkerson led off with a walk, reached second on an error by the pitcher and took third on a wild pitch and scored on an error by the catcher.
But the Generals rallied again in the bottom of the fourth and would never trail again.
The Rougarou travel to Fabacher Field on Sunday to take on the Acadiana Cane Cutters at 7 p.m.