Southwest Mississippi Baseball traveled to Scooba on Tuesday, March 2, for a doubleheader against Pearl River and East Mississippi. The Bears lost to Pearl River 7-4 but bounced back to beat East Mississippi 3-0, according to team reports.
Matt Newman started on the mound against Pearl River, pitching six innings with four strikeouts and three runs allowed. Dom Smith pitched the final inning, striking out two, but took the loss. Pearl River took a 3-0 lead after three innings, but the Bears responded with three runs in the bottom of that inning, tying the game. Southwest loaded the bases with a single from Tanner Moore, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Sam Tumminello scored on a groundout, JD Hidalgo scored on a wild pitch, and Cam Bolden drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt.
The game remained close until the seventh inning, when Pearl River scored four runs to take a 7-3 lead. The Bears scored one more run in the final inning on a home run by JD Hidalgo before falling 7-4. Hidalgo, Tanner Moore, and Johnathan Miller each had one hit, and Luke Simmons stole a base.
In the second game against East Mississippi, Alden Spencer earned the win after pitching 3.1 innings of no-hit ball with three strikeouts. Wyatt Garrett pitched 3.2 innings with four strikeouts, earning the save. The Bears scored all three runs early, with Landon French and Luke Simmons driving in runs in the first inning, and Drew Swan adding another in the third. Neither team scored after that, and the Bears secured the victory.
Offensively, Drew Swan had two hits, while Hidalgo and French each had one. Swan, Hidalgo, and Tanner Moore each stole a base. Head coach Jack Edmonson expressed optimism about his team’s health and future, saying, “It’s always hard to go on the road and win two games. We almost did that. We are hoping to be healthy rolling into conference play and are excited about what we can do.” The Bears (15-6) are scheduled to play at home Friday, March 6, in a three-team event with Southeastern Iowa Community College and Delgado Community College.
