HOUSTON –
Dexter Price's two-run homer in the eighth inning and another strong pitching performance helped Alabama State to a 3-1 win over Texas Southern and a sweep of the Major League Baseball Urban Invitational Sunday at Minute Maid Park.
Tied at 1-1 in the eighth,
Richard Gonzalez led off with a single. With one out, Price hit a 2-1 pitch out to left field to put the Hornets ahead as Alabama State improved to 7-1 for the first time.
Trailing 1-0 in the sixth, Alabama State tied the score on a two-out single by
Dillon Cooper, scoring
Waldyvan Estrada who singled and was on second base after a Price single.
The Hornets continued their penchant for scoring late, as they've now scored 46 runs in the final five innings of games in posting their second straight come-from-behind win.
“You have to have good at bats at the end of the ball game, and you have to withstand the charge of the other team as well,” head coach
Mervyl Melendez said. “You've got to know you're only one good inning away, and I'm glad our guys did that. It's back-to-back games we've come from behind to win, and I'm very, very proud of our guys. The situation is going to occur where you're going to have to step up, and that was the case today.”
Joel Alvira made his first start, going five innings allowing four hits and one unearned run, walking two and striking out seven.
Armando Ruiz (1-0), the third Hornets pitcher of the day, got the win in relief, throwing two innings of hitless relief.
Michael Estevez pitched the ninth to earn his first save.
The Hornets' pitching staff outdueled Texas Southern (5-3), which had not allowed a run in the first two games of the tournament in defeating Southern (1-0) and Prairie View (9-0).
“That's a good pitching staff,” Melendez said of the Tigers. “They did a very good job throughout the weekend. We knew we would have our hands full facing them, but Joel perservered. I thought he did a good job, and we were able to put two good innings together offensively and that was the difference. It was definitely a pitcher's duel. I'm just glad our guys were able to hang in mentally.”
The Hornets return home for a two-game hometand, facing Troy Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Kennesaw State Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
