Bulldogs win rain-delayed home opener

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast got the 2025 home softball schedule started Thursday afternoon, and outside a pesky rain shower things went really well.

The Bulldogs beat Coastal Alabama-South 2-1 at Ross-Smith Field after a rain-delayed game. Karley Rouse (So., D'Iberville/D'Iberville) allowed just one hit to pick up the win.

A scheduled second game was canceled.

"That was a good game," Gulf Coast coach David Kuhn said. "That was a great pitching performance by Karley. She pitched really well, and we played stellar defense. We hit some balls really good, but they made some plays. That's a good team."

After giving up a run in the first inning, the Bulldogs sat for a long rain delay with two outs in the top of the second. Rouse got that out quickly, and Gulf Coast tied it up in the bottom of the frame.

Emma Thomson (So., Sulphur, La./Sulphur) drew a walk, then scored on a single by Madison Laiche (Fr., Luling, La./John Curtis).

Gulf Coast took the lead in the third, with Baleigh Tullos (Fr., Hurley/East Central) smoking a one-out triple into the gap. Irina Sanford (So., Lucedale/George County) poked a perfectly-place double over third base for a 2-1 lead.

Rouse allowed only three baserunners after that, retiring the last five in order for the win. She allowed a single in the sixth, but no other hits. She struck out four and walked one.

"That's a good win," Kuhn said. "It was really clean on defense other than the first inning."

Gulf Coast (8-1) will play last year's national runners-up on Friday at Perk. First pitch in a doubleheader against Kirkwood is set for 2 p.m.

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