MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Gustavo Rios belted two home runs and Tyler Howe pitched eight solid innings as the Alabama State University baseball team snapped a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) losing streak on Friday night with a 12-3 victory over Mississippi Valley State at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
 
Howe (6-4), who will be recognized as one of nine seniors on Sunday during Senior Day, matched his career high in strikeouts with 13. He gave up three runs (two earned) on nine hits with three walks. Ivanniel Vazquez pitched the ninth in relief.
 
Alabama State (22-21 overall, 14-5 SWAC) quickly grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
 
Joseph Estrada, who went 2-for-5, started the frame with a double down the line in right and scored on Rios' towering homer to deep center. Ray Hernandez followed with a double to left and came around to score on a base hit to right by Diandre Amion. After Hunter Allen reached on an error, Edgardo Rivera struck out to end the inning.
 
The Hornets added to the lead in the second.
 
With one down, Estrada reached on a base hit to left center and advanced to third on a double to right by Cage Cox. Rios, who went 2-for-5, followed and drilled the first pitch he saw from Delta Devils starter Arrington Smith over the left field wall to extend the lead to 6-0.
 
Mississippi Valley State (6-30, 5-17) cut the deficit to 6-3 in the fourth as the Delta Devils plated three runs on three hits and took advantage of two Alabama State errors.
 
The Hornets answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
 
Hernandez, who went 4-for-5, singled to left center and advanced to second when Aimon drew a walk. Allen, who was 2-for-5, followed with a double to left to plate Hernandez and Amion came in to score. Joshua Dunson kept the inning going with a double to left as Allen scored, but Chris Biocic, who pinch hit for Rivera, was thrown out at the plate trying to score as the damage was done as Alabama State pushed the advantage to 9-3.
 
Alabama State put the game away in the seventh with three runs on three hits.
 
With one down in the inning, Cox, who went 3-for-6, singled through the right side and moved to second when Carlos Ocasio was hit by a pitch. Rios reached on an error to load the bases. Hernandez followed with a base hit to left as Cox and Ocasio scored. After a pitching change, Allen singled to left center to plate Rios as the Hornets extended the advantage to 12-3.
 
Arrington Smith (3-4) took the loss as he surrendered 12 runs (10 earned) on 14 hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in 6.1 innings of work. Dustin Stewart pitched the final 1.2 innings in relief.
 
Alabama State looks to keep its win streak going against Mississippi Valley State with Alumni Day on Saturday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
 
 
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