PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast got its bats going late in the first game of the MGCCC Invitational but had to settle for a split when the Bulldogs couldn’t find enough timely hits in the second.
Gulf Coast beat Lamar State-Port Arthur 7-0 in the first game of the season at Ross-Smith Field, scoring five times in the sixth to make it comfortable. The Bulldogs lost 5-1 to Coastal Alabama-South in the final game of the day.
Jett Harrell (So., Clarksdale/Lee Academy) struck out six and twirled a two-hitter in the opener. She drove in the game’s first run when she flew out to score Shaylynn Hoak (Fr., Vancleave/Vancleave), who tripled to lead off the third.
Savannah Wilbanks (Fr., Southaven/DeSoto Central) doubled in a run in the third, and Natalie Shaw (So., Olive Branch/Marshall Academy) drove in the first run of the sixth with a single. Kamryn LaFosse (So., Lake Charles, La./Sam Houston) grounded into a fielder’s choice to drive in another, and Jorja Roberson‘s two-run triple finished the explosion.
Coastal Alabama-South (5-3) got a two-out, three-run homer in the first for the pivotal hit of the game. It expanded a two-run lead before Olivia Falcon (Fr., St. Amant, La./St. Amant) shut the Coyotes down on two hits and a walk the rest of the way.
Hoak doubled in the only run of the game for the Bulldogs in the second. Gulf Coast outhit Coastal 7-6 but couldn’t get the final blow.
The Bulldogs (4-4) will play Lamar State again in Saturday’s opener at 11 a.m. The Seahawks will play Meridian in the second game, scheduled for 1 p.m. The MACCC rivals will play a non-conference game scheduled for 4 p.m. to close out a busy two days.
Buy your tickets ahead of time to save money. It costs $7 for adults or $5 for youth online, or $10 and $7 at the gate. Tickets are available at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets, and the game will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch.
For more information on MGCCC’s 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.
This post originally posted at https://www.mgcccbulldogs.com/landing/index by MGCCC Athletics
