Just a few weeks ago, the Bears dropped a pair of heartbreakers to Delgado in New Orleans. They were hoping to return the favor Thursday, this time as the hosts, but they couldn't get over the hump falling to the Dolphins 4-1 in Game 1 and 6-2 in Game 2.

"I thought that we played hard today. We swung the bats really well," Southwest head coach Jack Edmonson said. "We just finished a stretch with 17 games in 18 days. We have been tested but we are ready for conference play."

In Game 1, the Bears (12-15) fell behind 2-0 through the first three innings before finding a more consistent offense.

In the fourth, singles from Colson Thompson and Cody Presley put two runners on before yet another single, this time from Dawson Richard, brought Thompson home cutting the Delgado lead in half at 2-1. Unfortunately, the momentum did
not last as the Dolphins pushed two more runs across in the fifth making the score the eventual final.

Richard led the Bears with two hits and an RBI.

In Game 2, the Bears once again fell behind early as Delgado plated a run in the top of the first. But Southwest answered back in the second as Lane Steinwinder hit into a fielder's choice scoring Cru Bella and tying the game at 1.

In the third, however, the Bears fell behind once again when the Dolphins plated another run. They added another in the fourth and two more in the sixth putting Southwest down 5-1.

Despite being down, the Bears continued to fight and it showed on the scoreboard the following inning when Steinwinder doubled to center bringing Richard home and making it a 5-2 game. The Dolphins added one more in the seventh before sealing the win.

Steinwinder led the Bears with a hit and two RBIs. Presley and Marcus Jackson each finished with two hits.

The Bears will kick off conference play on Saturday with a pair of contests at Northwest Mississippi. Game 1 is set to get underway at 2 p.m.