JACKSON, Miss. – The Alabama State baseball team hit three home runs and combined with the strong pitching of Hunter McIntosh dominated Jackson State 13-1 in eight innings, completing the sweep of the Tigers.
Chris Biocic (solo homer), Ray Hernandez (two-run homer) and Hunter Allen (two-run homer) all went deep for the Hornets (23-12 overall, 15-0 SWAC), who have now won seven games in a row in extending the best start in SWAC play in school history.
Hernandez and Allen each had three hits, with Hernandez driving in four runs and Biocic three as the Hornets won their 16th straight game in conference play dating to last season. ASU won all six regular season games over Jackson State (17-15, 6-6) for the first time in the Mervyl Melendez era.
"I'm very proud of the guys for how they played this weekend in all facets of the game," Melendez said. "It's always a tough environment playing Jackson State on the road, and we showed great composure and focus in winning all three games."
McIntosh (5-1) went six innings, allowed five hits, one run, with two walks and five strikeouts as Hornets' starting pitching allowed only three runs in 20 innings pitched.
"Hunter did an outstanding job today," Melendez said of McIntosh, who threw 58 of his 95 pitches for strikes. "His ability to keep them off balance helped to limit them to one run. Our starting pitching was phenomenal this weekend."
Alabama State scored in the first three innings. Yamil Pagan was hit by pitch and Diandre Amion doubled off the wall to start the game. Carlos Ocasio then singled through the left side, scoring Pagan. Biocic's RBI groundout scored Amion for a 2-0 lead.
In the second, Eriq White reached on a fielder's choice, and advanced to second on a throwing error. Pagan's RBI single to left field scored White to extend to a 3-0 lead.
After adding a pair of runs and leading 5-1 after three innings, Alabama State scored eight runs in the final four innings, with all three homers coming late in the game. Biocic's first-pitch homer to left field in the fifth extended the lead to 6-1. In the seventh, Hernandez homered to left on an 0-1 pitch, scoring Cooper who singled for an 8-1 lead.
In the eighth, Amion walked and Ocasio reached on an error. Cooper's sacrifice fly scored Amion from third. After Biocic reached on an error, Hernandez doubled down the left field line, scoring Ocasio and Biocic for an 11-1 lead. Allen then homered on the first pitch to left field, scoring Hernandez for the final margin.
The Hornets return to action Tuesday in a 6 p.m. game at Samford. The radio broadcast begins at 5:45 p.m. with Hornets Pregame presented by American Lube Fast on bamastatesports.com/showcase.
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