NORMAL, Ala. – The Alabama State baseball team swept Saturday's doubleheader from Alabama A&M, winning 8-3 and 16-6 in eight innings at Bulldog Field.
In the opener, pitcher T.J. Renda threw seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits as he improved to 7-0 on the season. In the nightcap,
Waldyvan Estrada went 4-for-4 with three RBI, and
Dexter Price had a career-high four RBI as the Hornets (21-17 overall, 12-5 SWAC) surpassed last season's win total in scoring a season high in runs.
The final game of the series is Sunday at 1 p.m., with an internet radio broadcast at bamastatesports.com/showcase.
Game 1 – Hornets 8, Alabama A&M 3: The Hornets scored two runs in the first inning and three in the second to take control.
Richard Amion, who scored five times Saturday, reached on an error to lead off the game, stole second, and advanced to third on a balk. After
Leo Rojas walked and
Richard Gonzalez was hit by pitch to load the bases,
Branden Castro walked with one out to force home Amion. Cooper then reached on a fielder's choice to score Rojas as the Hornets took a 2-0 lead.
In the second with one out,
Marcus Swint and Amion drew back-to-back walks. Rojas then singled to center field to score Swint for a 3-0 Hornet lead. A throwing error scored Amion from third with the fourth run, as Rojas moved to third. Estrada's RBI groundout scored Rojas and gave Alabama State a 5-0 lead.
That would be more than enough for Renda, who had his fifth shutout outing in nine starts this season. He allowed four hits or fewer for the seventh time this season, and struck out five or more hitters for the eighth time this season.
Game 2 – Hornets 16, Alabama A&M 6: Alabama State scored 10 runs in the first three innings to blow the game open.
Amion walked and Rojas reached on a fielder's choice to open the game. Following a sacrifice bunt, Estrada doubled to left center for a 2-0 lead. Cooper then doubled home Estrada for a 3-0 lead. Price doubled down the left field line to score Cooper to give ASU a 4-0 lead.
Einar Muniz' two-out single scored Price as the Hornets scored five in the opening inning.
In the second, Amion was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a passed ball, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt.
Richard Gonzalez' RBI groundout scored Amion. After Estrada was hit by a pitch, Cooper doubled to score Estrada to give the Hornets a 7-0 lead.
Marcus Swint and Estrada had RBI doubles in a three-run third, as Alabama State scored four in the fifth, one in the sixth, and one in the eighth en route to its highest run total of the season.
Joel Alvira (4-0) went five innings to earn the win for the Hornets.
