Bulldogs sweep on Sophomore Day

PERKINSTON — Everybody on the Mississippi Gulf Coast roster got to play Saturday, but Sophomore Day was about the sophomores.

The Bulldogs swept Coahoma 8-0 and 15-0 at Ross-Smith Field, with both games ending in five innings. All 11 position players got hits, including a two-homer second game from Jorja Roberson, and the four sophomore pitchers didn’t allow a run.

“All the pitchers did well,” Gulf Coast coach David Kuhn said. “Everybody got in and contributed today. Everybody on the team played. It was a good team day for the Dogs.”

Natalie Shaw (So., Olive Branch/Marshall Academy) and Savannah Wilbanks (Fr., Southaven/DeSoto Central) went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the opener. Wilbanks and Aleah Beaugez (Fr., D’Iberville/D’Iberville) doubled, and Roberson (So., Branyan/East Union) tripled.

Jett Harrell (So., Clarksdale/Lee Academy) pitched a complete game, striking out five and allowing just three hits.

In the second game, Kylee Necaise (So., Gulfport/West Harrison), Kylie Burnette (So., Picayune/Picayune) and Olivia Falcon (Fr., St. Amant, La./St. Amant) combined for a one-hitter.

Roberson had a two-run homer in the second and a solo shot in the fourth. She leads the team with eight.

“She continues to swing a very hot bat,” Kuhn said. “We’re very excited about what she’s doing.”

Harrell also homered, and she had a double in a three-hit game. Harrell, Roberson, Wilbanks and Irina Sanford (Fr., Lucedale/George County) had three RBI each. Sanford doubled twice.

“The first game, it seemed like we were a little flat,” Kuhn said. “I think you attribute that to Coahoma playing pretty good and pitching pretty good. We got some timely hits. The second game, the bats came alive.”

The Bulldogs saluted their nine-player sophomore class between games: Kylie Burnette, Olivia Keith, Kamryn LaFosse, CC Lynn, Kylee Necaise, Jorja Roberson, Natalie Shaw and Abi Williams.

Gulf Coast reached the 30-win plateau in its 44^th game, improving to 12-5 in the MACCC. The Bulldogs remain in sixth place in the standings.

Coahoma is now 0-24, 0-16.

Gulf Coast travels to Pearl River on Tuesday. The doubleheader starts with a 4 p.m. first pitch in Poplarville.

For more information on MGCCC’s 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.