A thrilling 11-10 10-inning walk-off win in Tuesday' Game 1 against Mississippi Gulf Coast unfortunately couldn't be followed with another victory at home in the nightcap as mistakes haunted the Bears in a 10-3 decision.

"The season is tough and it is a grind. Doubleheaders are extremely tough," Southwest head coach Jack Edmonson said. "That is the hardest part about our league. Whether you win or lose Game 1, you still have to get back up and play Game 2. I didn't think that we were ready to play Game 2 and I thought that there were a lot of things that we could have done better. But I was really proud of the way that the guys fought in Game 1."

In Game 1, the Bears (14-21, 2-6 MACCC) fell behind 2-0 in the second inning as the Bulldogs took advantage of a Southwest mistake.

But the deficit did not last long at all for the hosts as they immediately responded and in a big way.

With the bases loaded and one out, Gage Hinnant singled to center allowing Colson Thompson to score. Following back-to-back bases loaded walks to Nolan Walther and Reed Duthu, Southwest added to its 3-2 lead with another run on a wild pitch. Two at bats later, Thompson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before a walk to ensuing batter Cody Presley brought another run home. Another wild pitch during the next at bat allowed Marcus Jackson to race home, giving Southwest a 7-2 advantage.

Noah Russ, who came on in relief at pitcher settled down and retired three of the four Bulldogs he faced in the third. He got additional help from his offense in the bottom half of the inning when an error by the Gulf Coast catcher allowed another run as Hinnant raced home making it an 8-2 game.

Gulf Coast answered with two runs in the fourth and another four in the eighth to tie the game at 8.

Sophomore Myles Green then came on to pitch and made an immediate impact retiring five in a row while getting three strikeouts.

"You just want to go out there and be the one that gets it done," he said. "Usually when I come in, I want to get the job done and get the win."

He ran into some trouble in the 10^th as Gulf Coast rallied to plate two runs.

But the Bears had one last push in them in the bottom half of the inning. With two runners on and one out, Jackson doubled to left bringing Nolan Walther and Jake Meilstrup in, tying the game at 10. Following an intentional walk to Thompson, Presley stepped up and delivered with a double down the left field line, scoring Jackson and giving he Bears the walk-off win in Game 1.

"I just have a lot of emotions now," Presley said. "I'm just happy to get the win. Coach Edmonson asked me before I went to the plate 'how are you going to win the game?' and I said with a hit. On the first pitch, I got jammed a bit but the next one I put a barrel on it and we won."

Presley finished with a hit and two RBIs. Thompson, Duthu and Jackson all finished with two hits with the latter also getting two RBIs.

Green got the win going 2.2 innings giving up only one hit, two runs (earned) and three walks while striking out three.

In Game 2, the Bears fell behind 2-0 after the first two innings, but had an answer in the third. With Walther and Hinnant on base and only one out, Meilstrup singled in Hinnant cutting the deficit in half at 2-1. Next up was Jackson who hit into a fielder's choice allowing Walther to touch home, tying the game at 2.

Unfortunately, the tie didn't last long as the Bears gave up three runs in the fourth and five the following inning before answering back in their half of the fifth with another Meilstrup RBI single making it a 10-3 game.

Southwest tried to continued the rally but was unable to as Gulf Coast claimed he win in the nightcap.

Meilstrup finished with two hits and two RBIs to lead the Bears. Walther also had two hits to go along with two runs scored.

The Bears continue their homestand as they welcome in the Mississippi Delta Trojans, Saturday at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.  

ACHIEVMENT: Thursday's Game 1 win marked the 50th in the head coaching career for Southwest's Jack Edmonson.