By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer
A strange thing happened on the way to a Rougarou rout Saturday night at Pete Goldsby Field.
After taking a 7-0 lead in the first inning and bumping it up to 11-0 after five, the Rougarou had to hold on for a 13-7 win over Brazos Valley. The Bombers scored one in the sixth then put together a 5-run seventh to give the Rougarou a scare. An injured umpire added to the drama in the seventh.
It was a hard-fought game that saw some crazy numbers: 20 runs, 20 hits, 21 walks, 24 men left on base and six errors. The Rougarou pitchers walked 10 and struck out six. The Bombers walked 11 and struck out 10.
Rougarou designated hitter Mozell Little III went 4-for-5 with a double, four runs and one RBI. Payton Cooper went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Trevor Durr went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Derrald Moore Jr. had one hit, but it was a 3-run home run in the first inning (his second of the season). Landrey Wilkerson hit an RBI triple.
Things got off to a great start for the Rougarou after starter Hunter Ponson retired the Bombers in order in the top of the first.
With one out in the bottom of the frame, Davis Meche was hit by a pitch. With two out, Wilkerson tripled to score Meche. Little singled and went to second on an error by the pitcher; Wilkerson scored. Little went to third on a passed ball then Cooper singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Little scored. Austin O’Malley reached and went to second on an error. He went to third on a single by Durr. Then Moore cleared the bases with his home run that gave the Rougarou a 7-0 lead.
Baton Rouge made it 8-0 in the third when Little, Cooper and Durr singled, then Little scored on a wild pitch. They made it 11-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Little led off with a double and Cooper was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch moved the runners then Durr walked to load the bases. Little scored on a passed ball. Moore walked to reload the bases then Meche drew a walk. Then Josh Shelly walked to score another run.
Brazos Valley scored one run in the top of the sixth, but then came the nightmare seventh that saw the Bombers score five runs on two hits, four walks and two errors. There also was a rather lengthy delay as plate umpire Brandon Castille (who at 7-foot-2 is billed as the tallest umpire) took a foul ball to the neck and had to leave the game. The field umpire replaced him and play continued.
Brazos Valley added one more run in the eighth on a walk, a hit batter and a single, but the Bombers left two runners stranded.
The Rougarou got a final run in the bottom of the eighth when Adamo Stornello and Moore walked. After a couple of wild pitches moved the runners, Banks Byers walked to load the bases. Meche hit a grounder to first that scored Stornello.
It was the second win over the Bombers in in three days and the team’s third straight win.
The Rougarou travel to the Acadiana Cane Cutters on Sunday, return home to host the Cane Cutters on Monday, then go back to Acadiana on Tuesday.