Bears walked off by Wharton County JC Pioneers in Series Opener

Photo Credit: Kaelynn Robertson

Thursday, February 12, 2026: Baseball
Wharton, TX

The Baton Rouge Bears opened a three-game series tonight against the Wharton County JC Pioneers at Corbett Park in Wharton, Texas. The game went into extra innings after the Bears tied it with two runs in the ninth inning, but the Pioneers walked off with a 9-8 victory over the Bears.

The Bears got on the board first with two runs in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Brecken Bordelon drew a walk, Kenneth Berard singled up the middle, and Cooper Martin was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for the Bears. Trent Laporte then hit a single up the middle, scoring Bordelon and Berard. The Pioneers responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame, taking a 3-2 lead after three innings.

The Bears retook the lead in the top of the fourth when Brayden Bertucci hit a two-run homer to left field, driving in himself and Mason LeBlanc, who reached on an infield single. However, the Pioneers responded again, plating two runs to reclaim a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Pioneers added two more runs to their lead in the fifth and one more in the sixth to take an 8-4 advantage over the Bears.

The Bears rallied back in the top of the eighth, scoring two runs to pull within two at 8-6. Trent Laporte led off by reaching base on a hit by pitch, Cayden Vice drew a walk, and Mason LeBlanc singled up the middle to score both Laporte and Vice. Down to their last at-bat, the Bears managed to score two runs to tie the game at 8. Brecken Bordelon started with a single, Kenneth Berard followed with a single of his own, and Cooper Martin reached base attempting a sacrifice bunt. Bordelon scored on a Pioneer error, and Laporte hit into a fielder's choice, allowing Berard to score and tie the ballgame.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Pioneers loaded the bases through a walk, a single, and a hit by pitch with two outs. Peyton Stubbs struck out D. Howard to end the Pioneers' walk-off bid and send the game to extra innings. The Bears managed to get a double by Mason LeBlanc in the top of the tenth, but he was left stranded.

The Pioneers led off the bottom of the tenth inning with a single. They attempted a sacrifice bunt to move the runner up 90 feet, but a passed ball accomplished that instead. An infield groundout advanced the Pioneer runner to third. The Bears intentionally walked the next batter to force a double play, but the Pioneers' runner stole second, leading the Bears to intentionally walk another Pioneer to load the bases. P. Collier then singled up the middle, plating the walk-off winning run for the Pioneers.

Kyle Stansbury started on the mound for the Bears, pitching three innings while allowing four runs on four hits, walking two, and striking out one. James T. Lewis (2.2 innings), Peyton Stubbs (3.1 innings), and Spencer Srubar (0.1 innings) pitched in relief for the Bears, with Srubar (0-2) credited with the loss. Teddy Herce started on the mound for the Pioneers, pitching four innings and allowing four runs on five hits while striking out five and walking one. Grant Burns (4.0 innings) and Zack Mann (2.0 innings) pitched in relief for the Pioneers, with Mann earning the victory.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 0-9, while the Pioneers improved to 1-8 on the season. Wharton leads the all-time series with 18 wins and 12 losses over Baton Rouge.

Bears Highlights:
- Brecken Bordelon went 1 for 4 with 2 runs and 1 walk.
- Kenneth Berard went 3 for 4 with 2 runs and 1 walk.
- Trent Laporte went 1 for 4 with 1 run and 3 RBIs.
- Mason LeBlanc went 1 for 4 with 1 run, 2 RBIs, and 2 walks.
- Brayden Bertucci went 1 for 4 with 1 run and 2 RBIs.
- Cayden Vice had 1 walk and 1 run.

Next Up:
The Bears and Pioneers will conclude their series with a doubleheader on Friday, February 13, starting at 1 PM.

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