JACKSON, Miss. –
Waldyvan Estrada's game-tying three-run homer and the dominant relief pitching of
Brandon Caples led the Alabama State baseball team to an 8-6 come-from-behind win at Jackson State.
Trailing 6-3 entering the seventh,
Cesar Rivera was hit by pitch to lead off the inning, before P.J. Biocic singled through the left side.
Chris Biocic's sacrifice bunt moved the runners to third and second, respectively.
That set the stage for Estrada, college baseball's active career leader in RBI. Clearly with tying the game on his mind, he took a big swing in fouling off the first pitch. After working the count to 2-1, he turned on the fastball and drove it over the left field wall to tie the game at 6-6.
In the ninth, Rivera singled to lead off the inning, before P.J. Biocic slapped a single through the right side of a rotating infield, moving Rivera to third.
Chris Biocic walked to load the bases for Estrada. On an 0-1 pitch, Estrada hit a high-chopper over the mound for an infield single, scoring Rivera with the winning run. With one out and the bases still loaded, P.J. Harris was hit by a pitch on a 1-1 count, scoring P.J. Biocic for the final margin.
Estrada finished 2-for-4 with a season-high tying four RBI as the top four hitters in the ASU lineup (Rivera P.J. Biocic,
Chris Biocic, Estrada) combined for nine hits, six runs scored, and seven RBI.
Brandon Caples (3-1) pitched the final 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits, walking none and striking out a career-high tying six batters, including the final two outs of the game as the Hornets (30-15 overall, 18-6 SWAC) reached the 30-win mark for the third straight season.
"This was a tremendous win for our team and our program," Alabama State head coach
Mervyl Melendez said. "It took everyone in our dugout to believe we could rally, and to come from behind to win on the road in a hostile environment in SWAC play is big for us heading into the tournament. This was a great team win and to reach 30 wins three consecutive seasons is a significant accomplishment for our program."
The Hornets complete the regular season with back-to-back games against UAB, Tuesday in Birmingham at Regions Field at 6:30 p.m., and Wednesday at home at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex at 6 p.m.
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