by Hunter Dawkins
The Long Beach Head Baseball Coach Conner Douglas could not have asked for more, as his youth-oriented baseball team mercy-ruled the MHSAA 6A classification Harrison Central 11-1 on the opening night at the Mike Rutledge Stadium. Following a talk from the legendary Mississippi State Head Baseball Coach Ron Polk the night before, the Bearcats put 15 players on base, including nine hits.
“Anytime you hear words from the ambassador of baseball in the South, positive things happen,” said Douglas referring to Polk addressing the team on Monday at the St. Thomas Aquinas Church Center. “The points he made last night about distractions and leaving things outside, it hit home with our guys.”
Long Beach Senior and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College signee Kobe Cook started the game and threw four shutout innings with five strikeouts earning the victory. The Bearcats were led at the plate by Sophomore Cameron Fennell, who had two hits and four runs batted in, including a home-run he knocked out in the fourth inning.
The next scheduled game is Friday 7pm at West Harrison.
