Smith hurls epic game, but No. 20 Bulldogs lose twice

No. 20 Mississippi Gulf Coast kicked off the MACCC schedule Friday with a tough road test, and the Bulldogs gave No. 12 Itawamba all it could handle in dropping a pair of games.

Gabby Smith was heroic in hurling all 12 innings of a 1-0 loss in the opener, and the Bulldogs erased a pair of deficits before losing 6-4 in what turned into the nightcap.

The freshman pitcher from Perkinston scattered 10 hits, finally yielding a run with two outs in the 12^th. She struck out only one, but walked only one and hit a batter.

The Bulldogs (12-7) loaded the bases with one in the 11^th and again in the 12^th with two outs, but couldn't push across a go-ahead run.

In the second game, the Bulldogs answered a two-run ICC homer in the first with two in the third. Natalie Jones (So., Lucedale/George County) drove in a run with a double, and she scored on a sacrifice bunt by Kinsey Cochran (So., Hurley/East Central).

ICC (20-4) got a solo home run in the bottom of the frame but took a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Brooklynn Peterson (So., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs) had an RBI groundout, and Baleigh Tullos (So., Hurley/East Central) had a two-out RBI single.

Itawamba scored three times in the fifth and held on. 

Gulf Coast finally plays home games Tuesday when Hinds visits Ross-Smith Field. The Bulldogs have played their first 19 games on the road, but first pitch will be at 4 p.m. The games will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch, and tickets are available at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets.

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.