The Alabama State baseball team lost both ends of a doubleheader to Jackson State, falling 5-1 and 10-6 Saturday at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
Jackson State (25-10 overall, 15-2 SWAC) has now won all five meetings against Alabama State (16-22, 10-7) this season.
“I don't know if there is a magic pill I have to give the players to make them start caring more,” head coach
Mervyl Melendez said. “This game is full of challenges. This game can bring the best out of you, or the worst out of you. The challenges that were put there by the game today were not met. You need guys with character and you need players with character, and today we had a bunch of characters. We didn't have any character. We didn't have anyone that stepped up. I apologize to our fans, and I apologize to our administration for the embarrassment we caused them today. It will change.”
Alabama State managed just four hits on the afternoon, two in each game. The teams will play the final game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
Game 1- Jackson State 5, Hornets 1: The Tigers set the tone early with a three-run first inning. JSU added single runs in the third and fifth innings.
Alabama State scored its lone run in the fifth inning.
Leo Rojas doubled off the wall in left center field. After a groundout advanced him to third base, Rojas scored on
Emmanuel Marrero's sacrifice fly.
Game 2 – Jackson State 10, Alabama State 6: A six-run sixth inning by Jackson State broke a 4-4 tie.
The Hornets scored their first four runs without a hit.
Richard Amion scored on a wild pitch in the first inning to tie the score at 1-1. Alabama State took its only lead of the day in the third when Amion scored on an error to take a 2-1 lead.
After a three-run homer by Ethan Bright put Jackson State ahead 4-2 in the fourth, the Hornets responded with two runs in the fifth.
Derrick Sanders scored on a groundout and
Waldyvan Estrada was hit by a pitch to score Amion to the score at 4-4.
Jackson State had a pair of two-run hits to highlight its big inning in the sixth. Alabama State got its first hit of the game in the bottom of the sixth on Marrrero's third home run of the season.
Amion was hit by pitch three times and walked once, scoring four runs for Alabama State.
