Bulldogs get road split at Wesson

Mississippi Gulf Coast faced big deficits in both games of Tuesday's doubleheader at Copiah-Lincoln, but the Bulldogs were only able to extract themselves fully from one of them.

Gulf Coast trailed by seven in the first game and won 14-13, then trailed by six before falling 7-5 in the nightcap. Garrett Gardner (Fr., Madison/Madison-Ridgeland Academy) hit two homers to power the first comeback, and the Bulldogs eventually got good relief pitching in both games to stay in it.

The Bulldogs are 24-19 overall, 9-13 MACCC, while Co-Lin is 26-17, 11-9.

Gardner's three-run homer punctuated a six-run fifth that took a huge chunk out of an 11-4 deficit. The freshman from Madison's second was a solo shot in the seventh that also got Gulf Coast within 12-11.

Co-Lin got a run in the bottom of the inning, but Anthony Tanner (Fr., Hurley/East Central) hit a grounder that forced an error to score a run to make it 13-12. Collin Smith (Fr., McComb/Parklane Academy) hit a gapper for a two-run double that proved to be the winning runs.

Alex Love (Fr., Hernando/Northpoint Christian) got the win with three innings of one-run relief. Wade Barr (So., Collins/Seminary) retired the side in order in the ninth for a save.

Gardner was 3-for-5, as was Tanner, who doubled. Ben Davis (Fr., Lucedale/George County) drove in four runs with two hits, including a double. Erimel Rosado (So., Dorado, Puerto Rico/Centennial) also had two hits with a double. Brady Saxton (Fr., Brandon/Northwest Rankin) had a solo home run.

In the second game, the Bulldogs trailed 7-1 in the fifth when Braxton Jones (Fr., Perkinston/Stone) started a rally by hustling to second when an easy fly to right field was dropped. He scored on Gardner's groundout, and Jordan Davis (So., Neshoba/Neshoba Central) made it 7-3 with a solo homer.

Tanner singled in two more runs, but the Bulldogs wouldn't get any closer despite a strong relief appearance by Jayden Madison (Fr., Petal/Petal). He struck out six in four scoreless innings.

Rosado homered in the first inning, finishing with three hits, including a double.

Gulf Coast is back at Perkinston on Friday for Sophomore Day. Ceremonies started at 4:30, with first pitch against Florida Post-Grad set for 5 p.m.

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