NEW ORLEANS, La. – Austin Bizzle fanned a career-high 10 batters and the Alabama State University baseball team belted three solo homers as the Hornets upended Alcorn State, 6-1, on Thursday night in the second round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball Tournament at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
 
Alabama State (30-24) advances to Friday's winner's bracket final and will meet the winner of Prairie View A&M/Alcorn State at 6 p.m. The Prairie View A&M/Alcorn State game will start at Noon on Friday. Should Alabama State win on Friday night, the Hornets will advance to Sunday's championship game.
 
Bizzle (7-0), who was named the SWAC Relief Pitcher of the Year on Monday and made his second start of the season, pitched his first career complete-game nine-inning victory. He scattered five hits and gave up one earned run.
 
After two scoreless innings, Eriq White, who went 3-for-4, picked a good time to get his first homer of the season as he blasted the first pitch he saw from Braves starter Daniel Belmont deep over the left field wall for an early 1-0 lead. Alabama State nearly plated another run as Joseph Estrada, who got on with a one-out base hit to right center, tried to score on Gustavo Rios' single to center, but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
 
Alcorn State (12-32) tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the third as Justin Barna singled to center and scored on Patrick MaMahon's double to right.
 
Alabama State plated two runs on four hits, including three that never left the infield, to grab a 3-1 advantage in the sixth.
 
Cage Cox opened the frame with a single up the middle and Ray Hernandez drew a one-out walk. With two down, Chris Biocic, who went 2-for-3, beat out a slow roller to load the bases. White brought home Cox with a high infield chopper. Oscar Prioleau, who replaced Joshua Dunson in the fifth, reached on an infield hit as Hernandez scored.
 
The Hornets tacked on insurance runs in the ninth as Prioleau, who went 2-for-2, singled to begin the inning and advanced to second on Estrada's sacrifice bunt. Diandre Amion brought Prioleau in with a single to center, but Amion was called out trying to advance to second. With two down, Cox, who went 2-for-5, smacked his sixth homer of the season, a solo shot to right. Rios followed and absolutely crushed the ball deep over the left field fence, his team-tying 10th homer of the season, as Alabama State extended the advantage to 6-1.
 
Belmont (2-7) took the loss in the complete-game effort. He struck out nine and walked three in nine innings. Also, he gave up six earned runs on 15 hits.
 
 
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