The Alabama State baseball team completed a series sweep of SWAC foe Mississippi Valley State with a 12-2 win in seven innings Sunday at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
The Hornets (19-28 overall, 13-8 SWAC) recorded its third conference sweep and fifth SWAC series win of the season, taking winning five of six games from Mississippi Valley State (14-32, 10-14) in 2012.
“It was extremely important for us to get back on the winning track and build momentum,” head coach Meryl Melendez said as his team has just seven regular season games remaining until the conference tournament. “Needless to say, we want to play well. When you play well, the outcome is going to take care of itself, and the outcome was in our favor today and the entire weekend. We played two tough games Saturday, we battled back in the second game and won that contest, and today was a lopsided event. I'm very happy to win three games in conference play, especially after a rough few weeks. To get some victories under our belts means a lot for the players' confidence level and to get some positive things going for us.”
Manny Rodriguez (2-0) was a duel threat for Alabama State, winning his first career start on the mound, allowing two hits and one run in four innings and going two-for-three at the plate with two runs scored.
Derrick Sanders pitched the final three innings for his first career save, allowing one hit and one unearned run.
Alabama State broke the game open with back-to-back five-run innings. In the second inning, the Hornets scored all of their runs with two out.
Darrion Pedro singled with one out and following a flyout, Rodriguez and
Einar Muniz each walked to load the bases.
Emmanuel Marrero was hit by pitch to force home a run to put the Hornets on the board.
Richard Amion followed with a two-run single to left field, scoring Rodriguez and Muniz. Marrero later scored on a double steal, and
Leo Rojas' RBI single scored Amion to give ASU a 5-0 lead.
“It was a very good effort by the hitters,” Melendez said. “We scored five runs with two outs. It was also another great effort by our pitching staff. Manny, making his first start on the mound, did a great job and I'm very proud of him, added to that with a two-hit performance at the plate. He did an outstanding job today.”
In the third,
Waldyvan Estrada walked, was balked to second, and Pedro reached on an error.
Jordan Mims then reached on an infield single to score Estrada and went to third on a throwing error which allowed Pedro to score from first. After a groundout, Muniz single to right to score Mims. After a Marrero single and Amion was hit by pitch to load the bases, Rojas' sacrifice fly scored Muniz.
Richard Gonzalez then singled to left to score Marrero to give Alabama State a commanding 10-0 lead.
Alabama State returns to action Tuesday and Wednesday with a home-and-home series against Jacksonville State. The Hornets play at Jacksonville State Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and host the Gamecocks Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
