Coming off of a strong performance over the weekend where they took two of three to open the 2025 season, the Bears unfortunately couldn't keep the momentum going Tuesday, falling 16-9 to Baton Rouge. The game was played at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.
 
"I thought that we played really good in all facets of the game tonight except for on the mound," Southwest head coach Jack Edmonson said. "I thought that we hit it really good, we had several walks, we played solid defense. We did a lot of things right tonight but as a team, we did not pitch it very well at all."
 
Southwest (2-2) lit up its side of the scoreboard first, in the first inning. With Gage Hinnant and Cody Presley on base via walks, Davis Knight stepped up and delivered bringing both runners home on a double to center giving Southwest a 2-0 lead.
 
The momentum, unfortunately, did not last long for Southwest as Baton Rouge answered the following inning with a two-run home run.  
 
Southwest responded in the second. Cameron Bolden reached on a double and after stealing third, he scored on a passed ball giving Southwest the lead once again at 3-2.
 
In the fourth, however, Baton Rouge went on a run, plating six runs to take an 8-3 lead.
 
Southwest showed great resilience, kept fighting and began chipping away at the Baton Rouge lead.
 
Bolden delivered again in the fourth with an RBI single to center, scoring Zane Landry cutting the deficit in half at 8-4.
 
The following inning, Southwest rallied to pull closer. Jonathon Miller drew a bases-loaded walk before an RBI double from Bolden brought Landry and Cooper Lewis home making it an 8-7 game.
 
Baton Rouge padded its lead in the top of the sixth on a solo home run but Southwest answered right back in the bottom half of the inning tying the game at 9 on a two-run single from Lewis.
 
Unfortunately, Baton Rouge pulled ahead once again in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, plating two runs in each frame before taking the win.
 
Bolden led Southwest going 4-for-6 with one run scored, three RBIs and three stolen bases.
 
Southwest will be back in action on Friday at 6 p.m. playing host to Mineral Area in Game 1 of a three-game weekend series.