The Baton Rouge Rougarou closed out their summer series against the Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators with an 8-6 win Friday night at Pete Goldsby Field. After 12 meetings over nearly two months, the Gators took the overall series 7-5.
This was a win both teams desperately needed to have any hope of making the playoffs, which begin July 28.
Once again the Rougarou had to fight back from an early deficit and then break a 5-5 tie. The Gators scored two runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a 2-run home run by Matthew Scott, and led 3-1 after two.
The Rougarou came back to score four runs in the third inning to make it 5-3. Nicolas Schwing and Bryson Jones singled, then Taylor Walters singled to score Schwing. Ty Simonelli was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Walters scored on an error and Jones scored on a wild pitch. Simonelli scored on a sacrifice fly by Trip Dobson.
The Gators got two runs in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5, but the Rougarou grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth when Haze McCorkel hit a 2 run double and another run scored on an error. The Rougarou held the Gators to one more run in the top of the eighth to preserve the win.
Both teams finished with nine hits on the night. Walters went 3-for-5 with one RBI. Hayes Hebert had a pair of hits. McCorkel and Dobson both had two RBIs.
Four Rougarou pitchers combined to give up nine hits, including four doubles, a triple and a home run, walked seven and struck out nine. Larson Fabre got the start and Tyler Bickett picked up the win. Tanner Nguyen gave up one hit in two innings. Colt Lejeune was credited with the save.
“Tonight was a good night of answering,” said Rougarou coach Mike Forbes, who returned to the dugout Friday after a weeklong mission trip to the Dominican Republic. “We answered, we got back down, we answered again. We’re really starting to hit the ball really well. We could have folded and didn’t.”
The Rougarou will host the Sherman Shadowcats for the first time Saturday and Sunday at Pete Goldsby Field.
By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer
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