Alabama State beat Florida A&M 11-2 Wednesday night at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex to complete the two-game sweep of the mid-week series.
Richard Gonzalez,
Waldyvan Estrada,
Einar Muniz and
Marcus Swint each had two hits and combined to drive in eight runs on the night as Alabama State (24-17) won its fifth straight game.
For the fifth straight game, the Hornets scored in the first inning.
Richard Amion led off with a single and advanced to third on an error on a ground ball by
Leo Rojas. Gonzalez' sacrifice fly scored Amion, and Estrada's sacrifice fly scored Rojas.
Dillon Cooper then doubled to center field, and scored on
Dexter Price's single to left field for a 3-0 ASU lead.
After Florida A&M (3-37) scored two unearned runs in the third inning to cut the deficit to 4-2, Alabama State broke the game open with a four-run fourth. With one out, Muniz reached on an infield single, and Swint singled to left field. Following a fielder's choice for the second out, Rojas reached on an infield single scoring Muniz. Gonzalez then singled through the left side to score Amion. Estrada singled to left to drive home Rojas, and Gonzalez' scored to give the Hornets an 8-2 lead.
It was the fourth consecutive game the Hornets scored at least 10 runs and had double-digit hits.
“I'm very pleased with the approach at the plate from our guys,” head coach
Mervyl Melendez said. “We hit good pitches, and we didn't swing at many balls out of the strike zone. Usually when you are locked in and having quality at-bats, swing at strikes, and having a good approach not trying to pull every pitch, you will have good outcomes. That was the case in the last two games. We didn't chase after a lot of bad pitches, and got the hits when we needed them with runners in scoring position.”
Matt Burnside (1-0) and four relievers limited the Rattlers (3-37) to just five hits in the game. Burnside allowed a pair of unearned runs, both in the third inning, as the Hornets committed three errors. He allowed four hits, and struck out three. The Hornets did not issue a walk in the game, and the pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts.
“The pitching was very good Tuesday,” Melendez said of
Anthony Ricciardi's six-hit, no-walk, nine-strikeout performance in Tuesday's 14-1 win. “It was one of better outings he's had, and he competed very well. Tonight, minus the third inning that we looked like the Bad News Bears and couldn't field a bunt, we did a very good job on the mound. To give up only five hits in nine innings is very good, and means the pitching was doing a very good job.”
Alabama State returns to action at Jackson State in a SWAC Eastern Division showdown Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. and Sunday in a single game at 2 p.m. All three games of the series can be heard at bamastatesports.com/showcase.
