Southwest Mississippi Baseball secured a spot in the Region 23 playoffs after defeating Mississippi Delta 10-5 in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday. The Bears fell 9-6 in the second game.
Matt Newman started on the mound for Southwest in the opener, pitching 5.1 innings with three strikeouts. Easton Boyte earned the win, pitching 2.2 innings with three strikeouts and one hit allowed. Dom Smith closed out the game with three strikeouts in the final inning.
Mississippi Delta jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The Bears finally scored in the bottom of the fourth, with Cam Bolden driving in Justin Domiano. Southwest then took the lead in the sixth, scoring six runs, including a steal home by Tanner Moore and a passed ball that scored Tanner Moore to make it 7-5. The Bears added three more runs in the eighth, sealing the win.
Offensively, Cam Bolden, Luke Simmons, and Sam Tumminello each had two hits. Bolden led with two RBIs, and several players stole bases, including Domiano, Bolden, and Tanner Moore.
In the second game, Rhyson Carroway started for Southwest, pitching 4.1 innings. The Bears fell behind early, trailing 2-0 before JD Hidalgo hit a three-run homer in the second. Despite a late rally, Southwest couldn’t overcome Delta, losing 9-6. Hidalgo’s homer accounted for three RBIs, with Drew Swan leading the team with two hits overall.
Head Coach Jack Edmonson expressed pride in the team’s effort, noting that the win in game one secured their postseason spot. “We finished up the year with a win that got us in the postseason for the third time in four years. I’m always pleased when that’s the result,” he said. “Our team battled all year. We’ve won a lot of close games. We think that will help us in the postseason. We are going to do our best to get our legs under us and be ready to be wide open Monday.”
Edmonson also thanked the fans for their support and noted the team’s overall record of 29-23, the second-most wins in program history. The Bears will play their first playoff game on Monday, May 4, with the opponent and time yet to be announced.
