By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer
The Baton Rouge Rougarou didn’t make their fans wait around long Saturday night. The Rougarou scored two runs in the first three innings and added to their lead in the fourth and fifth to take a 10-8 victory over the Victoria Generals at Riverside Stadium.
Baton Rouge pounded 10 hits and were aided by eight walks, four hit batters and an error. Josh Shelly continued to have the hot bat, knocking three hits and scoring three runs. Sully Stringer was 2-for-6 with two RBIs. Derrald Moore Jr. was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. T.J.Grines had one hit, one RBI and scored a run. Jason Hawkins had one hit and scored a run and Davis Meche had a hit.
Rougarou pitchers held the Generals to seven hits and struck out seven, but walked 12. Tanner Roberts got the start and pitched three innings, allowing four hits, four earned runs, walking five and striking out two. Jack Hill picked up the win after throwing four innings, allowing four runs on three hits, six walks and striking out one. Cowan Alfonso pitched 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out one. Connor Spenser got the save, striking out the side in one inning of work.
“Pitching battled all night,” Rougarou coach Jeff “Rooster” Southall said. “Tanner didn’t have his best stuff and fought to keep it intact for four. Hill battled a few innings as well. Alphonso gave us a good eighth and walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth. Spenser struck out the next three to end the game. (He) has closer stuff and was much better this outing compared to his first.
“I was pleased with the offense all night as we took some walks, got hits when we needed and, most importantly, cut down on the strikeouts, giving ourselves a chance.”
Grines got the Rougerou started, leading off the game with a single. Will Safford was hit by a pitch then Shelly singled. Grines was out at home. Safford scored the first run on a grounder by Stringer. Moore reached first and Shelly scored on an error by the Generals third baseman.
The Rougarou made it 4-0 in the second inning with some free passes from the Generals’ pitcher. Leading off, Jackson Walker was hit by a pitch and took second on a wild pitch. Hawkins walked and Meche walked to load the bases. Walker scored on a grounder to short. Hawkins scored on a sacrifice fly by Safford.
Baton Rouge increased its lead to 6-0 in the third when Moore walked and stole second, then McGee walked. After a pitching change, Moore scored and McGee advanced on a wild pitch. After Jackson walked, Hawkins singled to score McGee.
The Generals scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning and two more in the fourth. Their biggest inning was the eighth when Reed Spenrath hit a 3-run home run.
The Rougarou will travel to Brazos Valley on Sunday to take on the Bombers at 7 p.m. They wrap up the Texas road trip on Monday at Seguin.