By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer
The Baton Rouge Rougarou finally found a way to break the spell.
After back-to-back losses to the Acadiana Cane Cutters, the Rougarou built a lead and kept it to take a 9-5 victory over their I-10 Basin Battle rivals at Pete Goldsby Field. It was the 10th meeting between the two teams and an important one as they both vie for the last two playoff spots in the Texas Collegiate League. The Rougarou currently lead Acadiana by a game and a half and Seguin by three. The Rougarou have five games remaining, including one more matchup with the Cane Cutters on Sunday.
The Rougarou pitching staff was much less generous than it had been in recent games, issuing only three walks. Holden Hess got the start and picked up the win. He threw 5 1-3 innings giving up all five runs, four of them earned, on eight hits. He walked one and struck out two. Hayden Oglesby threw 2 2-3 innings, giving up two hits and striking out four. Kade Linn (pictured) closed, walking two and striking out the side in the ninth.
The Rougarou batted around and scored seven runs in the second inning and added two more in the sixth, to keep Acadiana at bay. Baton Rouge was outhit by Acadiana 10-8, but the Cane Cutters committed three errors. T.J. Grines had two hits and scored two runs; Adamo Stornello had two hits and scored one run. Taylor Walters, in his second appearance, hit a double and scored a run.
The big inning started with a one-out walk by Davis Meche and Walters’ double. A ball hit by Sully Stringer was misplayed by the pitcher, allowing both Meche and Walters to score. Stringer scored on a single by Stornello. Derrald Moore Jr. was hit by a pitch, then Grines reached on an error by the second baseman. With bases loaded, Mozell Little III singled to drive in Stornello and Moore. Little moved to second on the throw. Josh Shelly then singled and went to second, scoring Grines and moving Little to third. Little scored on a sacrifice fly by Landrey Wilkerson then Meche hit a fly out to center field to end the inning.
Acadiana scored two runs in the top of the third on a pair of singles, a double and a wild pitch, then added three in the top of the sixth.
But the Rougarou pulled away in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs.
Grines led off with a single and stole second. Little walked. Shelly reached on a fielder’s choice that took Little out at second. Wilkerson singled to score Grines and Shelly scored on a sacrifice by Meche.
The Rougarou will play its final home game of the regular season Tuesday night at 7 p.m. against the Seguin River Monsters.