Richard Gonzalez' grand slam and
Waldyvan Estrada's three-run homer powered Alabama State to a 14-4 win in seven innings over Jackson State in the final game of the conference showdown series Sunday afternoon.
The Hornets (14-7 overall, 6-3 SWAC) win the series two games to one and returned the favor to Jackson State (10-10, 7-2), which had beaten ASU 12-1 via the 10-run rule less than 24 hours earlier.
“That's what you want a team to do after not playing well for two games,” head coach
Mervyl Melendez said despite his team winning game one of Saturday's doubleheader. “The response that you need is a positive one, and I was glad we came out and did that. We swung the bats really well. Joel (Alvira on the mound) did an amazing job. The bullpen kind of faltered a little bit, as Jackson State continued to swing the bats and put the ball in play. I was very pleased with Joel, his effort and the response from our team. We challenged them last night, and they came out today and did what they had to do.”
After losing all six games to Jackson State last season, the Hornets took two of three from JSU and are now one game behind in the Eastern Division standings.
“We talk about winning series, and that's what we want to do,” Melendez said. “The more we win, the better the position we will be in at the end of the season. Jackson State had a great season last year (in going 21-3 in SWAC play) and they came in this weekend leading the division at 6-0. We knew they were going to be tough. Whether you play them at home or away, they are a team that is very resilient, they have tough outs, and you have to give a lot of credit to Joel for making good pitches when it counted.”
Alvira (2-0) went 5 1/3 innings, allowed just four hits and one run, walked six but struck out a season-high eight. Alvira escaped big trouble, particularly in the second, third, fourth, and sixth innings as Jackson State stranded 10 of its 12 runners during those innings. In the second after the Tigers scored a run and had the bases loaded with one out, Alvira fanned the next two hitters to elude a big JSU inning.
In the third, the first two Jackson State hitters reached base before Alvira retired the next three batters. In the sixth, the first two Tiger batters were retired before they loaded the bases with two out. Reliever
Matt Burnside forced a fielder's choice grounder to end the inning.
The response was in line with the challenge Melendez issued to his team Saturday night.
“You have to bear down when the game is on the line. You have to bear down when there are runners in scoring position, especially with less than two outs,” Melendez said. “That's what we talked about. We put the hammer down on what is expected out of this team, out of this ball club, and out of this program, and I was happy with the way they answered the call.”
Estrada's three-run homer in the third inning on a three-two pitch scored
Richard Amion, who led off with a single, and Gonzalez, who walked with one out. It provided the Hornets with a 5-1 lead which they took into the sixth inning.
After
Emmanuel Marrero bunted home Rojas with two outs and the Hornets' sixth run of the game,
Marcus Swint doubled off the left field wall, Amion walked, and
Branden Castro walked. Gonzalez' then turned on a 1-1 pitch and drilled it over the left field wall for his first career home run and a 10-1 Alabama State lead.
Jackson State scored three in the top of the seventh before the Hornets ended with the game with four in the bottom of the inning. Rojas, who reached on a fielder's choice with one out, stole second and third base, and scored on a wild pitch on a walk to
Manny Rodriguez. After Marrero was hit by a pitch and Swint walked to load the bases, Amion's single to right field scored Marrero and pinch runner
Ryan Thompson, as Swint was thrown out at home. Castro's single to right field scored Amion with the winning run.
The Hornets will play their next six games out of conference, beginning Tuesday night at Auburn at 6 p.m. Catch the Alabama State internet radio broadcast at bamastatesports.com/showcase.
