Softball splits on opening day

Mississippi Gulf Coast had a chance to open up the 2023 softball season with a doubleheader sweep on the road, but the Bulldogs opened the door with a couple of errors that let Baton Rouge grab a split.

The Bulldogs needed only five innings to win the opener 11-2, and they were in command in the second before falling 7-6 on a walk-off double.

"We played good in the first game," Gulf Coast coach David Kuhn said. "In the second game, we didn't finish. We had a 6-1 lead and if you don't executive a couple plays on defense, it lets them battle back. We had a chance to easily go 2-0, but you have to tip your cap to them."

K.K. Agner (So., Horn Lake/Magnolia Heights) and Jett Harrell (Fr., Clarksdale/Lee Academy) had big days at the plate for the Bulldogs. They both homered in each game, and Agner's grand slam in the first game provided half her eight RBI. She also doubled. And went 7-for-8. Harrell drove in four runs while going 4-for-6.

Kylie Burnette (Fr., Picayune/Picayune) pitched four scoreless innings before the Bears got two in their final at-bat. She finished with a four-hitter, striking out three and walking one.

"She had a good, dominant outing," Kuhn said. "We played really good defense behind her. They didn't barrel up any balls on her until the last inning."

Harrell's second home run of the day put the Bulldogs up 6-0 in the fourth inning. They left the bases loaded in the fifth before Baton Rouge scored four times in the bottom of the inning to pull within 6-5. After the Bulldogs left two runners in scoring position in the seventh, the Bears scored twice to win.

The Bulldogs have a busy weekend ahead of them in the Mardi Gras Invitational. They play Itawamba, LSU Eunice and Bishop State on Friday, with the first game at 9 a.m. They'll play South Arkansas and National Park on Saturday. 

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