NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Alabama State University baseball team is headed back to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball Tournament Championship game.
The Hornets used a 13-run third inning and sent 16 to the plate to cruise to the
25-3 victory in seven innings over Prairie View A&M on Friday night at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
Alabama State advances to the title game against Texas Southern as the Tigers reached Sunday's championship game with an 11-2 win over Jackson State. The SWAC Championship game is set for 11 a.m. on Sunday and will be broadcasted live on ESPNU.
The Hornets and Tigers are no stranger to the SWAC Championship game as the two teams met last year with Alabama State capturing its first-ever SWAC Tournament title with a 7-5 victory.
Burke Echelmeier (6-4) started for the Hornets and went 6.0 innings. He gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
Brandon Caples pitched the seventh in relief.
Alabama State (31-24) loaded the bases in the top of the first inning with one out as
Diandre Amion,
Cage Cox and
Gustavo Rios drew walks.
Ray Hernandez brought Amion home with a sacrifice fly to right, giving the Hornets a quick 1-0 lead.
The Panthers capitalized on a pair of errors in the second to grab a 2-1 lead.
Tyrone Thomas singled up the middle to begin the inning and advanced to third on Kevin Macias' base hit down the right field line. After an infield pop-up, Avery Williams reached on an error by Hernandez, which allowed Thomas to score from third. With two down, Cody Den Beste's grounder to third was fielded by Hernandez, who's throw sailed over Rios' glove at first, which allowed Macias to score.
The Hornets quickly responded in the top half of the third by sending 16 batters to the plate and scoring 14 runs on eight hits and took advantage of a pair of errors.
Joseph Estrada and Amion drew back-to-back walks to begin the inning. Cox followed with a base hit up the middle to plate Estrada from second. Rios, who went 3-for-3, singled to left to load the bases with no outs. Hernandez, who went 3-for-5, atoned for the three early errors with a double down the left field line to plate Amion and Cox.
After a pitching change,
Carlos Ocasio's bloop single to center scored Rios and Hernandez. Still with no outs in the frame, Ocasio moved to second on a stolen base.
Chris Biocic was hit by a pitch and
Eriq White reached on a bunt to load the bases.
Oscar Prioleau, who went 2-for-4, reached on a fielder's choice as Ocasio was out at home. Estrada, batting for the second time in the frame, drew a base on balls as Biocic scored from third. Amion, who went 3-for-4, followed with a double to right to plate White and Prioleau.
After the Panthers' second pitching change in the inning, Cox reached on an error as Estrada scored and Amion moved to third. Rios plated Amion with a base hit up the middle as Cox stopped at second. Hernandez followed with a double to right and advanced to third on an error and came in to score as the Hornets turned a 2-1 deficit into a 14-2 lead.
The Panthers tried to climb back into the game in the fifth with a run, but it wasn't enough as the Hornets loaded the bases in the sixth and put the game away with 10 runs on six hits to take a 24-3 lead.
Tyler Laux (0-8) took the loss in just 2.0 innings of work. He surrendered six runs on three hits with six walks and five strikeouts. Jordan Johnson, Christian Cooper, Phillip Gay and Cassity Land pitched in relief.
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