NEW ORLEANS – The Alabama State baseball team advanced to the SWAC Championship game with a 15-6 win over Grambling State Friday night at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
The Hornets (37-19) will face defending champion Jackson State (30-23) Sunday at 2 p.m., with live internet radio on bamastatesports.com/showcase, and live video on ESPN3.com. The game will be shown via tape delay on ESPNU Monday at 7 p.m. CT.
"We know we're facing a good ball club, the defending champions," head coach
Mervyl Melendez said of Sunday's matchup, as the Hornets beat Jackson State in five of six meetings this season. "We know we're facing one of the better pitchers in this conference in Desmond Russell, so we have to work extremely hard tomorrow to get ready. We have to do what we do best, and concentrate on ourselves."
Waldyvan Estrada went 3-for-5 with a home run, career-high four runs scored and three RBI.
"That's one of the things we worked on today in batting practice. He needed to get the hands out a little bit quicker," Melendez said of Estrada. "I thought he was being a little bit too patient. He's a guy that if you throw a mistake, he's going to take advantage of it."
The Hornets broke the game open with five runs in the third. In the third,
Einar Muniz was hit by a pitch,
Richard Amion singled, and
Cesar Rivera walked to load the bases. Estrada's single to left field on a 2-2 pitch scored Muniz and Amion for a 3-1 lead. After
Richard Gonzalez' sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third, Marrero reached on an error, allowing Rivera and Estrada to score. Marrero, who advanced to third on the play, later scored on a wild pitch to give Alabama State a 6-1 lead.
The Hornets added four runs in the fourth and five in the fifth in recording its highest run total in the tournament.
T.J. Renda got the win in holding Grambling State at bay until the fifth inning. Brandon Caples pitched the final 4 2/3 innings for the save, allowing no hits, walking two and striking out three.
"I think T.J. got a little tired," Melendez said of Renda who struckout seven and walked none. "Maybe the big innings we had offensively maybe affected his rhythm. I don't think he was sharp in the fifth inning, but he gave us quality innings until we got to the bullpen and saw what Caples was able to do."
