JACKSON, Miss. – The Alabama State baseball team took over sole possession of first place in the SWAC's Eastern Division with a doubleheader sweep Saturday at Jackson State.
The Hornets beat Jackson State 8-6 and 6-1 Saturday at Braddy Field to improve to 20-8 overall, 11-1 in SWAC play. The Tigers fell to 17-8, 5-3.
The teams will play the final game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m. Internet radio will be available at bamastatesports.com/showcase.
Game 1 – Hornets 8, Jackson State 6: After Jackson State rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, a two-run eighth by Alabama State sealed game one.
After
Richard Amion reached on a fielder's choice,
Cesar Rivera and
Richard Gonzalez walked to load the bases.
Waldyvan Estrada drew a bases loaded walk to score Amion. Emanuel Marrero's sacrifice fly to right field scored Rivera for the final margin.
Jackson State put runners on base in the eighth and ninth innings, but
Armando Ruiz held the Tigers scoreless in the eighth, while
Hunter McIntosh and
Tyler Howe got the final outs in the ninth.
Alabama State jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Estrada's two-out RBI single in the first inning scored Amion, who walked to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. In the third,
Cesar Rivera, who led off with a single, advanced to second on a single by Gonzalez, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error. Gonzalez later scored on a sacrifice fly by Marrero, extending the Hornets' lead to 3-0.
In the sixth,
Dexter Price scored on a throwing error to give the Hornets a 4-0 lead. After Jackson State scored one in the bottom of the sixth, Estrada's RBI single scored Rivera, and Castro's RBI single scored Gonzalez to give the Hornets a 6-1 lead.
J-State scored five in the seventh to tie the score before the Hornets regained the lead for good in the eighth. Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, Estrada 3-for-4 with three RBI, and Rivera 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
Game 2 – Hornets 6, Jackson State 1: Joseph Camacho's complete-game effort on the mound, and Amion's 4-for-5 game at the plate sparked Alabama State's win in the nightcap.
After Jackson State scored its only run on a throwing error by Camacho, the sophomore threw his second straight complete game, walking one and striking out six.
In the second inning, Marrero walked with one out, and Price walked with two out, moving Marrero to second.
Marcus Swint drilled a 1-1 pitch to left center field for a two-run double, scoring Marrero and Price for a 2-1 Hornet lead.
In the third, Amion singled to second and was safe at second after an error on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt by Rivera. After a bunt single by Gonzalez to load the bases, Estrada drilled the first pitch to left center for a two-run single, scoring Amion and Rivera. With one out,
Branden Castro's bunt on a safety squeeze scored Gonzalez from third. Price's RBI double to left center scored Estrada for what proved to be the final margin.
Camacho pitched out of trouble in the fourth, getting out of bases-loaded jam with two outs, and he further maintained the lead by forcing the Tigers to leave two runners on base in the eighth and ninth innings.
