MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama State University baseball team used a three-run fourth inning and
Austin Bizzle picked up his team-leading fourth save as the Hornets edged Jacksonville State, 4-3, in a non-conference game on Tuesday night at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
Brandon Caples (3-4) started on the mound for the Hornets and lasted 5.1 innings. He gave up three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.
Chase Laney,
Ivanniel Vazquez and Bizzle pitched in relief. Bizzle came on in the eighth with one out and finished the game with two strikeouts.
Alabama State (24-22) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as
Joseph Estrada, who smacked the game-winning home run in the first matchup against the Gamecocks, belted a 2-0 pitch over the right field wall to give the Hornets an early 1-0 lead.
ASU extended the lead in the fourth with three runs on three hits and took advantage of a Gamecock.
Cage Cox led off the inning with a walk and moved to third on
Gustavo Rios' double down the left field line.
Chris Biocic followed with a groundout to the shortstop as Cox scored from third.
Carlos Ocasio brought Rios in with a sacrifice fly to left.
Ray Hernandez reached on an error, while
Eriq White's reached on an infield hit.
Joshua Dunson plated Hernandez with a shallow single to center to push the Hornet lead to 4-0.
Jacksonville State (22-20) cut the deficit to 4-2 with a pair of runs on two hits.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases in the sixth and came away with one run to trim the margin to 4-3, but that would be as close as JSU would get.
Cody Dodd (2-2) surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk in 3.2 innings. Nate Sylvester and Grant Chandler worked in relief.
Alabama State takes to the road for the next four games, starting on Wednesday night against UAB. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. from Young Memorial Field in Birmingham.
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