HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Ray Hernandez drove in four runs and Brandon Caples pitched six innings as the Alabama State University baseball team completed a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) sweep of Alabama A&M with a 11-2 victory on Sunday at Bulldog Field.
 
Caples, who made his first start since March 11 at Jackson State, improved to 2-3 after fanning five and walking two. He gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits to pick up the win. Jon Roblez picked up his first save by pitching three innings in relief.
 
Alabama State (17-15 overall, 13-2 SWAC), which has now won 10 straight and marks the longest win streak since 2015, took advantage of two Alabama A&M errors and a walk in the top of the first to grab an early 1-0 lead.
 
With one down in the frame, Carlos Ocasio was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on an error by Alabama A&M pitcher Dalton Mitchell. Gustavo Rios drew a walk with two outs and Ray Hernandez reached on an error as Ocasio came in to score.
 
The Hornets, who completed their second consecutive sweep in Huntsville against the Bulldogs, added to the lead in the fourth as Joseph Estrada reached on an infield hit and advanced to third on Chris Biocic's singled to right. Eriq White walked to load the bases and Oscar Prioleau plated Estrada with a sacrifice fly to center to give Alabama State a 2-0 advantage.
 
ASU extended the margin in the fifth inning and took advantage of four hit batters.
 
Cage Cox, who went 2-for-5,opened the frame with an infield hit and Rios was hit by a pitch. Hernandez, who went 2-for-5, followed with a double to the gap in right as Cox and Rios scored. With one down, Biocic was hit by a pitch and White reached on a walk to load the bases. Prioleau was hit by a pitch to plate Hernandez. Amion was hit by a pitch as Biocic scored. Ocasio, who was the ninth batter in the inning, bounced into a double play to end the inning with Alabama State in control, 6-0.
 
Alabama A&M (8-28, 5-10) took advantage of an error in the bottom of the fifth to score two runs and cut the deficit to 6-2.
 
The Hornets answered in the sixth as Cox reached on an error to begin the frame and moved all the way to third when Rios and Hernandez were hit by pitches to load the bases. Estrada brought Cox in with a sacrifice fly to left to push the ASU advantage to 7-2.
 
Alabama State put the game away in the seventh as Amion and Ocasio drew back-to-back walks to begin the inning. After Cox popped out to the shortstop, Rios flied out to center as Edgardo Rivera, who pinch ran for Amion, tagged and advanced to third. Hernandez followed with a single back up the middle to plate Rivera and extend the lead to 8-2.
 
The Hornets added to the margin in the ninth as Cox reached on a base hit through the right side and Rios followed with a single to left. After a passed ball, Estrada brought Cox in with a sacrifice fly to left. Biocic, who went 2-for-5, followed with his first homer of the season, a two-run blast to left, to stretch the lead to 11-2.
 
Mitchell (1-5) gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits with four walks and one strikeout in 4.0 innings to take the loss. Owen Stubberfield, Johnathan Perry, Casey Warner and Brandon Marsonek pitched in relief.
 
Alabama State returns to the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex for the next four games, starting on Tuesday in a non-conference game against Troy. First pitch against the Trojans is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
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