By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer
The Baton Rouge Rougarou were one out away from sending the Generals back to Victoria, Texas with a 5-4 loss Sunday night. Then things went sideways at Pete Goldsby Field.
With two out in the top of the ninth inning, the Generals scored a run to tie the game at 5-5, then held off the Rougarou in the bottom of the frame to send the game into extra innings. In the top of the 10th inning, Victoria scored four runs on two hits, two errors, two walks and two wild pitches to take a 9-5 victory.
The loss dropped the Rougarou to 11-8 and puts the team one game behind Brazos Valley (13-8) in the Texas Collegiate League standings. Victoria is two and a half games back at 10-10.
Three Victoria pitchers held the Rougarou to six hits in the game. Will Safford hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning that tied the game at 4. T.J. Grines hit an RBI double in the fifth inning that gave the Rougarou a 5-3 lead. Mozell Little III hit an RBI double in the eighth that put the Rougarou ahead 5-4.
The Rougarou sent five pitchers to the mound to try and fend of Victoria. Starter Holden Hess pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, four walks and walking two. Andrew Yuratich threw the next three innings, giving up four runs on four hits and striking out three. Jack Hill threw one scoreless inning, walking one and striking out two. Cowan Alfonso (LP) threw two and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on two hits and three walks. He struck out seven. Connor Spencer closed, allowing one run, one hit and walking one.
The Rougarou started well, scoring a run in the bottom of the first frame thanks to an error by Victoria’s right fielder, which allowed Moore to reach third base. Josh Shelly was hit by a pitch and stole second. Moore scored on a grounder by Brady McGee.
Baton Rouge held that lead until the top of the fifth when the Generals scored two runs on two hits and an error, but the Rougarou regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jackson Walker led off with a single and went to second and third on a passed ball. He scored on a single by Moore. Moore scored on a double by Grines, giving the Rougarou a 3-2 lead.
The Generals regrouped in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs on two hits, a dropped third strike, and an error, but Stafford’s home run in the bottom of the inning tied the game at 4-4. The Rougarou went ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth when McGee walked, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Little’s double.
The Rougarou took the lead into the ninth. After a leadoff walk, Baton Rouge retired the next two batters before Victoria’s Reed Spenrath singled to tie the game. Then nothing went the Rougarou’s way in the 10th.
“Four runs proved to be more than we could make up in the the bottom of the tenth,” Rougarou coach Jeff “Rooster” Southall said.
The Rougarou will take Monday and Tuesday off before heading to Seguin on Wednesday, then Brazos Valley on Thursday. The team will be home on Friday to host Seguin.