A seven-run first inning sparked Alabama State to an 11-1 victory Friday night over Mississippi Valley State in seven innings at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
The Hornets (16-12 overall, 7-3 SWAC) started fast, as the first eight batters reached base, seven of them scoring.
Richard Amion was hit by a pitch, ahead of
Richard Gonzalez' single to center. On a double steal, Gonzalez and Amion stole second and third, respectively, with Amion scoring on a throwing error to put Alabama State on the board.
Waldyvan Estrada then singled to right field to score Gonzalez. Following a walk to
Dexter Price, Brandon Castro reached on a fielder's choice, and Estrada scored on a fielding error to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead.
Leo Rojas then singled to left field, scoring Price, ahead of
Dillon Cooper's RBI single to center scoring Castro.
Emmanuel Marrero was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Rojas and Cooper each scored on wild pitches to complete the first-inning scoring.
Alabama State added three runs in the fifth inning, two on bases loaded walks, and the other on a wild pitch. The Hornets scored the game-ending run in the seventh. Amion singled to center, stole second, and with one out, stole third. Estrada, who went 3-for-3 on the night, singled to right field to end the game.
“I thought we were very aggressive in the first inning,” head coach Meryvl Melendez said. “We made a lot of good swings, and took advantage of a couple of mistakes they made. That first inning was very important; big innings are very important. We were able to do that, set the tone early, get the big lead, and then cash in later to cap off a good night.”
T.J. Renda (5-0) was once again dominant on the mound, allowing just four hits, one run with two walks and nine strikeouts in throwing 96 pitches, 63 for strikes. He struck out the side in the third inning and the sophomore now has 59 strikeouts in seven starts with three complete games this season.
“T.J was T.J. He was very good again tonight,” Melendez said. “He made just one mistake, when they hit a triple as he left a pitch up in the strike zone, but that was it. I thought he was very, very strong. He located the ball very well and battled location issues early, which he worked behind a few batters in the count, and then bore down and got them out. It was a very good performance by him.”
The win broke a three-game losing streak for Alabama State, which had won just one game in the past six contests. The Hornets will face the Delta Devils (3-24, 1-6) Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
“Every win is important,” Melendez said. “I told the guys that teams are going to go through this. There's not one team in the nation that won't go through a little slump. We just have to weather the storm and play good baseball. We know what type of team we have, and what type of character we've instilled in these players. It was just a matter of time before we start playing well again.”
