Southwest Mississippi Baseball traveled to Decatur on Tuesday, April 14, to face No. 4 East Central in a doubleheader. The Bears lost game one 20-7 and game two 5-2.
In game one, Matt Newman started on the mound for Southwest, pitching 2.2 innings with one strikeout before taking the loss. Easton Boyte pitched 0.1 innings with a strikeout, and relievers Brian Hankinson, Wyatt Garrett, and Camp Segrest combined for the remaining innings. The Bears’ offense opened strong, with Justin Domiano hitting a solo home run in the first inning. East Central responded with a home run of their own to take a 2-1 lead.
Southwest tied the game in the second inning when Hayes Loper homered. Tanner Moore scored on a wild pitch in the third to give the Bears a 3-2 lead. However, East Central responded with a nine-run inning to lead 11-3. Drew Swan added a solo homer in the fourth, but the Bears couldn’t close the gap, ultimately losing 20-7. Six Bears players recorded one hit each, with Domiano, Loper, and Swan homering. Moore led with two RBIs and one stolen base.
Game two was more competitive, but Southwest fell 5-2. Rhyson Carroway started and took the loss, pitching three innings with four strikeouts. Nik Carney pitched two scoreless innings with five strikeouts, and Dom Smith finished the game with no hits allowed and two strikeouts. The Bears scored both runs in the fourth inning, with JD Hidalgo hitting a homer and Sam Tumminello driving in a run with a single. Six players had one hit each, with Hidalgo homering and Swan doubling. Swan and Hokamp each stole a base.
Southwest Mississippi, now 26-18 overall and 10-10 in conference play, will host Coahoma on Saturday, April 18.
