The Alabama State baseball team bounced back with a resilient victory after dropping game one against SWAC foe Alabama A&M to earn a split in a Saturday home doubleheader at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
 
Behind a dominant pitching performance from starter Joseph Camacho and a breezy inning of relief from fire baller Armando Ruiz, the Hornets' offense collected 11 hits on their way to a 6-2 win in game two against the Bulldogs. 
 
Alabama A&M took game one with a 6-3 win. 
 
In game two, Camacho (5-0) cruised throughout with seven scoreless innings and allowed just four hits and walked none. 
 
The junior right hander from El Paso, Texas, allowed only one runner to reach third base.  He struck out four and faced just two batters over the minimum. 
 
"I thought he [Camacho] did a very good job of locating," said ASU coach Mervyl Melendez. "He threw his pitches for strikes and kept them off balanced.  That's a very good hitting ball club.  I was very pleased with his effort.  If it wasn't for that error, they probably don't score."
 
The Bulldogs (13-9) were able to score both of their runs on a fielding error that broke the shutout in the eighth inning. 
 
Ruiz came in the ninth and struck out the side to seal a 6-2 win for the Hornets (12-8).    
 
"He [Ruiz] threw well today.  His arm felt really good.  Our relievers have pitched in quite a few games already this season, and sometimes your arm can get that wear and tear.  But, he told me that he felt good so I put him out there in the ninth inning." 
 
Joseph Estrada had a big day from the ninth spot in the lineup by batting 2-for-4 including his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that traveled down the right field line, to increase ASU's lead to 6-0 in the sixth. 
 
Cesar Rivera went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot with a walk, two runs scored and his seventh double of the season.  Rivera got things going in the first when he drew a walk and came around to score on a RBI single. 
 
In the fourth, Rivera smashed his double and was plated on a P.J. Biocic RBI single to give the Hornets a 4-0 lead. 

Harris and Chris Biocic each went 2-for-4 while Yamil Pagan raked a RBI double.
 
In game one, the Bulldogs made a series of dazzling plays in the field including three double plays and a pair of other flashy glove plays that took away potential hits from the Hornets. 
 
A&M took an early 3-0 lead and led wire-to-wire as Devin Smith and Andrew Utterback combined to pitch 4.2 scoreless innings to pick up the 6-3 win.  
 
But it was the spectacular fielding by the Bulldogs that really made a difference. 
 
"Their third baseman made some great plays," Melendez said.  "I know he made a diving play that saved a couple of runs.  When things like that are going against you and you're squaring to hit balls, there's nothing that you can do.  You just have to play nine innings and hope that you can score some runs and maybe tie and go to extra innings.  But that wasn't the case.  We recovered very well and took the second game so I'm proud of the guys."
 
Rivera went 2-for-3 with a walk while Joseph Estrada batted 1-for-4 with a two-run triple to right center that scored Ray Hernandez and Hunter Allen in the second. 
 
The Hornets got within 5-3 on a RBI single by P.J. Biocic in the fifth, but that's as close as they would come for the balance of the game. 
 
ASU will meet Alabama A&M in the rubber match Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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