Dillon Cooper went a career-high 5-for-5 as Alabama State had a season-high 20 hits in beating Florida A&M 14-1 Tuesday night at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
Prior to the singing of the National Anthem by ASU senior Kimberley Sanders, a moment of silence was held and invocation given in remembrance of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.
Cooper had a pair of doubles and three singles and while also scoring a career-high three times as Alabama State (23-17) won its fourth straight game, and scored 10 or more runs for the third consecutive game.
Einar Muniz tied a career-high with four hits,
Marcus Swint had a career-high three RBI, and
Anthony Ricciardi scattered six hits over eight innings, allowing one unearned run with no walks and a season-high nine strikeouts.
Cooper's single to left field opened a four-run second inning. Following a sacrifice bunt,
Emmanuel Marrero was hit by pitch and Muniz singled to left field to load the bases. Swint's two-run double down the left field line scored Cooper and Marrero to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead.
Richard Amion then doubled nearly to the same spot, scoring Muniz and Swint for a 4-0 ASU lead.
The Hornets added two runs in the third and fourth innings, before scoring six runs in the sixth, all with two outs.
Dexter Price's single through the left side scored
Richard Gonzalez, who had reached on a fielder's choice. Marrero then singled to left field to score Cooper, who singled. Muniz' double down the left field line scored Price and advanced Marrero to third. Swint then reached on an infield single, scoring Marrero for a 12-1 ASU lead. Following a pitching change,
Richard Amion walked to load the bases, before
Leo Rojas' two-run single to right field scored Muniz and Swint for the final margin.
The Hornets and Rattlers (3-36) will play the final contest of their two-game, mid-week series Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
