Sweet Water drops opener in extras

Sweet Water opened its season Monday with a 4-3 loss in extra innings to rival Leroy.

The Bears scored a pair of runs in the home half of the second inning to take the early 2-0 lead. The advantage remained until the top of the fourth when Sweet Water put together a three-run rally.

J.T. Etheridge reached on an error to open the innings before advancing to third on a Michael Allen Cole single. A Walker Thompson grounder allowed Etheridge to score the first Bulldog run of the season. Trace Luker followed with a two-run single to plate Cole and Thompson for the Sweet Water lead.

An error aided the Leroy cause in the bottom of the fifth as the Bears plated the tying run. The game stayed 3-3 until the bottom of the eighth when Chase Pugh doubled and moved to second on a Garrett Moseley sacrifice bunt. Pugh scored the game winner on a walk-off wild pitch.

Braiden Broussard and Reed Joiner each had a single in the game for the Bulldogs while Cole had two.

Etheridge was scintillating in his five innings of work, striking out 11 while scattering two hits and allowing one earned run.

Solomon Foster worked seven strong innings for Leroy, allowing four hits and three unearned runs while fanning six. Pugh pitched the eighth to qualify for the win.

Sweet Water (0-1) plays again Saturday against Demopolis and Jackson.