The Alabama State baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader with Jackson State, losing game one 5-4 before taking the nightcap 11-2 at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
In game two,
Joseph Camacho improved to 9-1 on the season as the Hornets improved to 11-0 in the second game of doubleheaders this season.
"It comes with maturity," head coach
Mervyl Melendez said of his team's game two record in doubleheaders this season. "You have to give credit when credit is due, and the credit goes to the players. We've said it many times, and we as coaches said it after game one, 'We don't play. You guys have to want to play and get it done.' They did, and thats a credit to their mindset to what they want to achieve this year. That's how you have to answer the call. Bottom line; you lose the first game, and you want to answer the call by winning the second game, and doing it decisively like we did."
Alabama State (32-16 overall, 20-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) tied the school record for wins and will host the Tigers (26-20, 8-12) in the final game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
Game 1 – Jackson State 5, Hornets 4: It was a heavyweight bout in game one as the defending SWAC champs and the 2014 SWAC Eastern Division champs battled throughout the game.
Both teams had 13 hits and left 11 runners on base as Alabama State nearly erased a two-run ninth-inning deficit.
After Jackson State scored a run in the second, the Hornets responded with a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the second.
Branden Castro led off with a single and
Dexter Price walked. After a fly out, Castro was thrown out at home plate attempting to score on
Einar Muniz' fielder's choice grounder.
Richard Amion then singled to left field, scoring Price.
Cesar Rivera followed with a single through the right side, scoring Muniz to give Alabama State a 2-1 lead.
Jackson State scored one in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead before the Hornets responded in the home sixth. With one out, Muniz singled to left field and Amion was hit by pitch. Rivera then singled up the middle to score Muniz to cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Tigers scored a run in the ninth before Alabama State rallied in the bottom of the inning. Amion led off with a single, but was forced out at second on Rivera's fielder's choice grounder. Estrada then singled to left field. With two out,
Raul Perez' infield single scored Rivera, but a strikeout ended the game.
Rivera tied a career-high with four hits and had two RBI, and Muniz went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
Game 2 – Hornets 11, Jackson State 2: Alabama State scored in the third – sixth innings to take the lead and Price's three-run homer in the eighth sealed the win.
"Our team has kind of done that in the past, where in the first game we seem tentative, especially after a five-day layoff," Melendez said. "We finally found the groove and played much better. The bottom line is we can't leave 11 runners on base and pretend to win games. It's just not realistic. We did a much better job with runners in scoring position in the second game."
Camacho worked six innings, allowing five hits and two runs with two walks and two strikeouts.
Brandon Capels pitched the final three innings for his first career save.
"Camacho has given us very good innings throughout the season," Melendez said. "He worked out of some jams today (Jackson State left 10 runners on base through six innings), and made some quality pitches. He hit five batters, which is not like him, as he's a command-plus pitcher, but he worked out of trouble and gave us quality innings. He gave us what we needed and gave us a lift."
With the game scoreless in the third, Perez was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Muniz. Amion walked, and both runners advanced on a throwing error. Rivera's sacrifice fly scored Perez, and
Waldyvan Estrada's double to left center scored Amion for a 2-0 lead.
The Hornets extended to a 3-0 lead in the third when Price, who was running with the pitch, scored from first base on a bloop single to right by Perez.
Alabama State added two runs in the fifth. Amion doubled to left field to lead off the inning, and with one out, Estrada walked.
Emmanuel Marrero singled to center field, scoring Amion. Castro's sacrifice fly scored Estrada for a 5-0 Hornets' lead.
After Jackson State scored two in the sixth, the Hornets answered with three in the home sixth.
Dillon Cooper singled to left field and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Muniz and Amion walked to load the bases ahead of Rivera's two-run single to right field, scoring pinch runner
Marcus Swint and Muniz. Estrada's sacrifice fly scored Amion for an 8-2 lead.
In the eighth with one out, Estrada walked and Marrero was hit by a pitch. With two out, Price homered to left on a 2-1 pitch, his team-leading sixth homer of the season.
Price tied a career-high with three hits and had three RBI, Rivera drove in three runs, and Amion scored three times in game two. Caples allowed two hits, walked none and struck out over the final three innings.
