No. 22 Bulldogs drop two to No. 18 Hinds

PERKINSTON — No. 22 Mississippi Gulf Coast played its first two home games of the softball season here at Ross-Smith Field on Tuesday, but the Bulldogs couldn't scratch out a win in a pair of close games against No. 18 Hinds.

Gulf Coast lost 5-3 and 5-2 in the second MACCC doubleheader of the season to fall to 12-9, 0-4.

The Bulldogs led 2-0 in the opener after an RBI groundout by Caroline Batson (So., Wiggins/Stone) in the first and a bunt single by Kinsey Cochran (So., Hurley/East Central) in the third that forced a throwing error and allowed her to score.

Hinds scored three times in the fourth and tacked on two important insurance runs in the seventh. Kevionna Myers (Fr., Bassfield/Jefferson Davis) slugged a pinch-hit homer to lead off the bottom of the inning, but the Bulldogs wouldn't get any closer.

In the second game, Gulf Coast answered an Eagles run in the first with one of its own. Brooklyn Mitchell (So., Gulfport/St. Patrick) drove in Cochran with a single.

They answered a run in the fourth when Layla Barnes (So., Gulfport/D'Iberville) swapped places with Breyona Tanner (Fr., Hurley/East Central), who had doubled to lead off the inning.

Hinds (20-5, 3-1) got a run in the sixth to take the lead and tacked on two again in the seventh.

The Bulldogs will play again at home on Saturday when Holmes visits. First pitch at Ross-Smith Field will be at 4 p.m. Tickets are available at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets, and the games will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch.

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