By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer
The Baton Rouge Rougarou were happy to be home Sunday night but did not have a happy homecoming.
The Brazos Valley Bombers finally found a way to get past the Rougarou, knocking nine hits and taking advantage of two errors to take a 7-3 win at Pete Goldsby Field. It was the first time in three tries that the Bombers defeated Baton Rouge this season, but it wasn’t enough to knock the Rougarou from the top spot in the Texas Collegiate League. Baton Rouge (10-6) leads Brazos Valley (9-7) by one game.
Brazos Valley came out swinging against starting pitcher Kade Linn, scoring four runs on three hits with two out in the first inning. With the Bombers already leading 1-0, Simon Larranga deflated the Rougarou quickly with a 3-run home run that gave the Bombers a 4-0 lead. The Bombers added runs in the third, sixth and ninth innings.
Linn threw 2 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three. Collier Barham threw 2 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings, walking two and striking out five. Hunter Oglesby threw three innings, giving up one run on two hits, walking two and striking out four. Ethan Brister threw the final inning allowing one run on two hits and striking out one.
The Rougarou was held to six hits by four Brazos Valley pitchers, who walked five and struck out nine. Brady McGee was the only player with more than one hit. Jackson Walker’s second inning double was the only extra base hit for the Rougarou. Sully Stringer and Jason Hawkins had RBIs.
The Rougarou scored one run in the second inning when Walker doubled and McGee singled to drive in the run. Baton Rouge would not score again until the seventh inning when T.J. Grines and Davis Meche singled then executed a double steal. Grines scored on a groundout by Josh Shelly.
Baton Rouge added one run in the bottom of the ninth when Derrald Moore Jr. was hit by a pitch and Davis Meche drew a one-out walk. With two out, Stringer singled to score Moore. The Rougarou had the tying run on deck but Little flew out to deep center field to end the game.
“It was a tough day coming off the road,” Rougarou coach Jeff “Rooster” Southall said. “(We’re) looking forward to tomorrow.”
The Rougarou will host the Acadiana Cane Cutters Monday night at 7 p.m. at Goldsby Field. They will be off Tuesday and Wednesday before visiting Acadiana on Thursday.