Joseph Estrada's walk-off single in the ninth completed an Alabama State comeback to defeat Jackson State 4-3 and complete the sweep of the SWAC-opening series.
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Tied 3-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth,
Diandre Amion, who had a career-high three hits, singled to right field. With one out,
Dillon Cooper's bunt single and
Ray Hernandez' walk loaded the bases, before Estrada's single to center field on the first pitch scored Amion with the winning run.
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Alabama State (6-5 overall, 3-0 SWAC) trailed 3-0 heading into the sixth before scoring.
Yamil Pagan's two-run homer to left field scored
Eriq White to pull the Hornets within one run at 3-2. In the eighth,
Chris Biocic led off with a walk. With one out, White doubled down the left field line scoring Estrada, who had pinch run for Biocic, to tie the game.
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"It's early in the season, we're 11 games in, but this team has a lot of heart," head coach
Mervyl Melendez said. "This team has shown so far this season that the game is not over until the 27
th out is made. If you're going to have a quality as a team, and you're going to be known for something, you want to be known for having heart. Often times, you talk about performances, or skill sets of players, but there's one missing piece a lot of times, and that's heart. This team has it."
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Hunter McIntosh allowed six hits, two earned runs, one walk and a career-high tying eight strikeout in six innings.
Austin Bizzle (1-1) pitched three innings of one-hit baseball, walking none and striking out three to get the win.
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"Hunter was phenomenal," Melendez said. "He got the raw end of the deal in terms of not getting the win, but he pitched very, very well. He kept the ball down, mixed his pitches well, threw the ball extremely hard, and did a lot of things well today."
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The sweep over Jackson State (5-6, 0-3) is the first by the Hornets at home in the Melendez era as the Hornets won their fifth game in a row.
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"As I told the team, whomever you play, you have to come out with a lot of intensity," Melendez said. "Every team in this conference is going to fight, play hard, and leave it on the field regardless of their record or where the game is played. I'm glad our team responded, being down 3-0. They responded very positively, and that's what you're hoping and that's what you want out of the team."
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The Hornets return to action Tuesday at 5 p.m. in game one of a two-game series against Bowling Green in the Perfect Game Challenge in Emerson, Georgia.