Bulldogs’ late-game heroics earn them split

BILOXI – Mississippi Gulf Coast used the comeback ability that's so characterized its non-conference performances, twice coming back late against Baton Rouge.

In the opener, the Bulldogs scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to win 4-3 at MGM Park. In the second, they scored two runs in the seventh to force extra innings, but they fell off the tightrope in the ninth, losing 7-4.

"That's kind of been the story of our year," Gulf Coast coach Rodney Batts said. "This bunch is gonna scrap and never give up. Sooner or later, that comes back to bite you. You can only go to that well so often."

The Bulldogs head into MACJC play with a 9-5 record. They head to Northeast on March 12 for a doubleheader.

Baton Rouge is 13-16. Bears first-year pitching coach Roy Corcoran took part in a ceremonial first-pitch ceremony with his brother, Tim. They are former Gulf Coast stars who went on to pitch in the majors.

The biggest Gulf Coast news out of Saturday involved pitching. Batts waited a long time to tap Tyler Rachel, who hasn't thrown a pitch since last season.

"We didn't really know who was going to start Game 1 until right before batting practice," Batts said. "I asked him, and he said he was good to go. He threw really good, probably as well as he has since I've been here."

Rachel hurt his arm late last season, and he didn't throw during the fall. About two weeks before the season started, Batts asked him if he wanted to pitch. He'd only played left field before Saturday.

Rachel pitched three innings of three-hit ball, allowing one run while striking out three.

"I just went out there and stick it in the zone as much as I could," Rachel said. "I just kept throwing better and better as the game went on."

Brycen Burge started the game-winning rally with a sharp single to center. Chase Rhodes sacrificed him to second, and Ian Goff walked.

Baton Rouge could have gotten out of the inning on a ground ball to short, but he botched the play, loading the bases with one out.

Justin Nussbaum fouled off a pair of 1-2 pitches before lofting a fly ball to left field for the win.

"Finally, he left the slider over the plate up in the zone and I got the barrel on it," he said. "We just have a lot of heart on this team. We just keep fighting."

Nussbaum had two hits in the opener. Brian Land went 3-for-4, including an eighth-inning RBI triple to tie it at 3 and set up the ninth-inning drama.

Dylan Mills-Derouen followed Rachel with another strong start, shaking off a string of poor ones to start the season. He wound up going 5.2 innings, allowing just one hit.

"Dylan threw well," Batts said. "Our coaching staff has really challenged our pitching staff to go out there and do their jobs. He threw much better today, much better than what he has."

He walked five, though, and left with two runners on in the sixth.

Those came in to score when Destin Aim gave up a three-run homer that put Gulf Coast in a 4-2 hole.

The Bulldogs battled back in the seventh to tie. Ian Goff led off with a double, and Marcus Buckley was hit by a pitch in an eight-pitch at bat.

Nussbaum sacrifice attempt wound up in no-man's land, and the Bulldogs had the bases loaded with nobody out.

After a strikeout, Michael Shubert got a runner home with a fielder's choice, then alertly broke for second when a curveball hit the dirt and bounced away from the catcher. The throw to second was high and off-line, allowing Buckley to score easily.

The Bulldogs couldn't get Shubert home, though, and Baton Rouge scored three times in the ninth to win.

Brandon Kennedy, who got the win in the first game with four outs of relief work, gave up his first three runs of the season in the second to take the loss. He is 3-1.