By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer
The Baton Rouge Rougarou battled to the end, but their summer season came to a close Wednesday night with a 6-4 loss to the Brazos Valley Bombers in Bryan, Texas.
Brazos Valley swept the best 2-out-of-3 series and advances to the championship game to be played Saturday night between the winner of a 3-game series between the Seguin River Monsters and the Victoria Generals. The Rougarou finished the season 20-28 overall.
Derrald Moore Jr.’s solo home run with two out in the top of the ninth inning was big, it just didn’t score enough runs to keep the Rougarou’s season alive. Baton Rouge needed two more runs to tie after Brazos Valley scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie.
The Bombers led 1-0 through four innings before the Rougarou rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth. Lane Snow led off the inning with a double and Taylor Walters followed with a single. With one out, T.J. Grines singled to score Snow. After a pitching change, Josh Shelly singled to load the bases. Moore singled to score Walters. Grines scored on a fly out by Payton Cooper.
But Brazos Valley came back to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. And the two remained knotted up until the bottom of the eighth when Brazos Valley took advantage of an intentional walk and strung together four singles.
In only his second appearance of the summer, starting pitcher Andre Roux Jr. gave a solid performance, giving up one run on three hits, walking four and striking out three in four innings. Kade Linn, Jack Rector and Cowan Alfonso pitched in relief.
TCL Player of the Year Josh Shelly once again led the team offensively, going 3-for-5. Davis Meche had two hits and a stolen base. Walters had two hits and scored a run. Grines, Moore and Cooper had RBIs. Snow had the only extra base hit for the Rougarou.