MONROE, La. — What a way to start 2026.
For the Ruston Bearcats (1-0), opening day was about hot bats and stingy pitching — all against a reigning state champion, to boot — in a 14-1 run-rule win over Oak Grove (0-1) at Lou St. Amant Field on the campus of the University of Louisiana – Monroe.
“We jumped out to a fast start,” Ruston High Head Coach Bryan Beck said. “I’m really proud of our kids and our coaches after considering what we’ve dealt with the last few weeks– no one’s made any excuses or complained — we’ve had to figure out different places to practice and deal with some inclement weather. We lost some scrimmages and just hadn’t been able to really get into a good rhythm. We just weren’t sure how things were going to go (Monday), but the kids came out and competed and really had a lot of energy.”
Ruston got two runs on the board in the top of the first inning after senior Jackson Lee tripled in the opening at-bat and was subsequently scored on single by senior Nolan Parnell two batters later. And after Parnell was picked off at first, senior Hudson Wood hammered a ball over the left field wall for a solo home run to put the Bearcats up 2-0.
The Bearcats would surrender a run in the bottom of the first to the Tigers for a 2-1 score, but they followed up in the top of the second with three more of their own after senior Kenden Freeman scored senior Jackson Burroughs on a single. Both Freeman and pinch-runner Tucker Patterson both scored two batters later on an error in Oak Grove’s infield to go up 5-1.
Following a scoreless third, Ruston got four more in the top of the fourth inning when Lee singled into center field and scored both Patterson and Freeman for a 7-1 lead. Senior Mike Brisco scored and Lee then scored on consecutive wild pitches to put Ruston up 9-1.
In the top of the fifth, Ruston junior Keilan Davis scored on an error by Oak Grove with one out to give Ruston a 10-1 lead before the Bearcats rattled off four more runs in the top of the sixth, with Wood getting the first run across on a wild pitch, and then junior Dillion Williams crossing the plate on a bases-loaded walk to go up 12-1. Freeman scored for the third time of the day after Lee grounded into a fielder’s choice, and two batters later, junior Peyton Nations scored Ruston’s final run of the day on a wild pitch for the final 14-1 score.
Ruston got nine hits on the day, led by both Lee and Freeman with two hits, apiece. The Bearcats trotted out seven total pitchers on the day with junior Tyler Roach getting the start on the mound. Both junior John Parker Moak and sophomore Hudson McIntyre struck out two batters apiece in relief.
“All of that was really encouraging to see as we head into a really tough weekend of baseball with the Haughton Buccaneers,” Beck said. “We’ll play them in a three-game series. So I’m really happy for our kids, and our coaches have worked really hard to get the work in we’ve needed over the last few weeks, so that they’d be ready for (Monday).
“And what a beautiful day for baseball to open up the season with the win.”
