Alabama State used another strong pitching performance and timely hitting to shutout Mercer, 4-0 Tuesday night at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
Anthony Ricciardi and four relievers combined to limit Mercer to just four singles and help the Hornets improve to 4-0 for the first time since moving to Division I prior to the 1983 season.
“We just witnessed as good of a game we have played since I've been here,” second-year head coach
Mervyl Melendez said. “It was a great game against a great opponent. That's not a good opponent, that's a great opponent that will probably play in the NCAA Tournament. We played really well defensively. Offensively, we got the hits when it counted.”
Ricciardi struckout seven and walked two in 4 1/3 innings, giving Alabama State its fourth consecutive quality start in as many games this season.
“I thought Ricciardi was amazing, outstanding,” Melendez said. “He got to his pitch count, and we have to be cautious with pitch counts early in the season. He threw three pitches for strikes tonight, and kept them off balance. He gave us the lift that we needed. The intensity level he pitched with was amazing.”
The Hornets took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. With one out,
Leo Rojas doubled to right-center field. After the second out, Rojas stole third and scored on a throwing error to put Alabama State ahead.
In the fourth, Rojas and
Dillon Cooper singled and doubled, respectively to lead off the inning.
Manny Rodriguez' sacrifice fly scored Rojas to extend to a 2-0 lead.
Einar Muniz hit a grounder to first and was out on the play, but Cooper scored from second to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead.
Alabama State added an insurance run in the eighth on a
Richard Amion RBI single, scoring Cooper who had doubled.
Michael Estevez pitched out of a ninth-inning jam, as the Bears (3-1) loaded the bases with two outs. However, he forced the final out on a fielders' choice grounder to end the game.
The Hornets begin a four-game road trip Wednesday at South Alabama at 6:30 p.m. (live free audio on bamastatesports.com; video stream via South Alabama website).
“We all know how good South Alabama is going to be,” Melendez said. “They have a lot of junior-college transfers. (South Alabama head coach) Mark Calvi is an excellent coach, who has been a lot of places and has been very successful. We know we will have our hands full. We have to come out and play with a lot of intensity and passion.”
