The Alabama State baseball team nearly erased a six-run ninth-inning deficit, scoring four times but came up short in an 8-6 loss to Jacksonville State in the second of back-to-back games between the two teams.
Wednesday's game was the final home game at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex, as Alabama State honored its four seniors
Ron Frost,
Ryan Epperson,
Jordan Mims, and
Darrion Pedro, as well as recognized the 2012 SWAC Champion Men's Golf team in the final home athletic event of the 2011-12 season.
Trailing 8-2 heading in the bottom of the ninth, the Hornets rallied with two outs. With the bases loaded,
Leo Rojas' single to left field scored a pair of runs to cut the margin to 8-4. Pedro then reached on an infield single, scoring Epperson from second base to add the third run of the inning. Back-to-back errors by Jacksonville State allowed Rojas to score for the final margin. However, ASU could not get the game-tying hit with the bases loaded to end the game.
“I'm very proud of how we battled back,” head coach
Mervyl Melendez said. “I want this team to be known for never being out of a game. Once again, we gave ourselves an opportunity to tie the game at the end. The effort was there, but unfortunately at the very end we couldn't get it done. However, the effort was there, the intensity was there, the at-bats were much better, and we concentrated well at the end. I thought we played well. We got 11 hits, our starting pitching did a good job,
Emmanuel Marrero did well on the mound in the ninth to hold them. We just need to rebound. We have an important weekend ahead (at defending SWAC Champion Alcorn State), and we have to concentrate on that now.”
Frost tied a career high with 11 strikeouts for the second straight outing. Epperson tied a career-high with four hits on a 4-for-4 night, while Pedro and Rojas each had two hits and combined to drive in five runs.
For the second straight night, the Hornets (19-30) took the early lead against Jacksonville State. In the third inning, Epperson doubled with one out and scored on Pedro's single for a 1-0 lead. Alabama State extended to 2-0 lead in the fifth inning on Rojas' RBI single to left field, scoring Epperson.
Jacksonville State (20-23) scored two runs in the sixth, took the lead with one in the seventh, and broke the game open with a five-run eighth inning.
“Our starting pitching was amazing, with 11 strikeouts in six innings by Ron,” Melendez said. “He gave up two runs, but pitched well enough to give us a chance to win. Unfortunately, our relief pitching wasn't good enough tonight.”
The Hornets play at Alcorn State in the final SWAC series of the season to determine the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Division. The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at Noon and Sunday at 1 p.m.
