Southwest Mississippi Baseball hosted Mineral Area College for their first home series of the season on February 6 and 7. The Bears went 1-2 in the series, losing the final game 6-4 after splitting the first two contests.
In the series opener on February 6, the Bears fell 14-5 in a seven-inning game. Rhyson Carroway started on the mound, striking out five and allowing one run on two hits through four innings. Mineral Area’s bats exploded in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring 13 runs combined to take control. Southwest responded with five runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by hits from Justin Domiano, JD Hidalgo, and Luke Simmons, but could not catch up.
Matt Newman pitched five innings in game two, helping the Bears secure a 5-1 victory. Newman struck out eight, allowing only one hit and one run. Offensively, Tristain Haynes and Robbie Hokamp each drove in two runs, while Cam Bolden, Hokamp, and Drew Swan added one RBI apiece. The Bears also stole several bases, with Newman and Nik Carney finishing the game on the mound, combining for 11 strikeouts.
In the series finale on February 7, Andrew Hoff started for Southwest in a nine-inning game. Hoff struck out five but allowed a grand slam in the first inning, putting the Bears in an early 4-0 hole. Mineral Area extended its lead to 6-0 before the Bears scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Despite rallying to within two runs by the eighth inning, Southwest was unable to complete the comeback, falling 6-4.
The Bears’ pitching staff combined for 15 strikeouts across the series’ final game. Coach Jack Edmonson praised the team’s effort, noting the competition was among the best they will face this season. “I thought we played really well other than three innings,” Edmonson said. “I’m proud of how we played, not necessarily how we executed. We have opportunities to improve this week against quality opponents.”
Southwest (3-2) returns home February 10 to face Florida Post Grad, aiming to build on their recent performances.
