NEW ORLEANS, La. – Tyler Howe and
Austin Bizzle combined to pitch 13 innings and strikeout 11, but it wasn't enough as the Alabama State University baseball team dropped a heartbreaker, 4-2, to Texas Southern in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship game on Sunday at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
The 13-inning affair was the longest SWAC Baseball Championship game since 2005 when Southern outlasted Prairie View A&M, 6-5, in 15 innings.
Bizzle, Howe,
Joseph Estrada and
Ray Hernandez, were selected to the All-SWAC Tournament Team.
Howe, the 2017 SWAC Pitcher of the Year, pitched nine innings of four-hit baseball and allowed two runs. He fanned six and walked six on just three-days rest
. Bizzle (7-1) took the loss in relief. He gave up two runs on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 4.0 innings.
Texas Southern (20-32) took advantage of three straight walks in the first inning as Blake Hicks single to center scored Jose Camacho from third to give the Tigers a quick 1-0 lead.
Alabama State (31-25) had its chances in the first three innings with at least one runner on base, but the Hornets bounced into two double plays and had a runner picked off.
The Tigers added to the advantage in the fourth.
Hicks opened the fourth with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Jackson. Christian Sanchez plated Hicks with a double to left, giving Texas Southern a 2-0 lead.
Alabama State trimmed the margin in half in the bottom of the frame.
Estrada opened the frame and was hit by a pitch.
Chris Biocic moved Estrada to second with a sacrifice bunt. With two down,
Gustavo Rios plated Estrada with a base hit to left, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Hornets loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth as
Eriq White reached on an infield hit and
Oscar Prioleau singled to center. Estrada drew a walk to load the bases. However, Biocic's long drive to left was caught at the wall to keep Texas Southern on top, 2-1.
Alabama State tied the game at 2 with one out in the sixth as
Cage Cox, who went 2-for-5, belted his seven homer of the season, a tower shot over the right field wall.
The score remained tied until the top of the 13th inning.
Camacho opened the inning with a double to right center and Gaudencio Lucca was hit by a pitch. Kameran Dukes reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an error as Camacho was out at third. With Lucca on third and Dukes on second, Bizzle intentionally walked Hicks. Gerrek Jimenez ripped a base hit to left to plate Lucca. Dukes scored on a pop up to short right to give Texas Southern a 4-2 lead.
Anthony Martinez started for the Tigers and pitched seven innings. He gave up two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Michael Villanueva (8-4) picked up the victory in 6.0 innings of relief. He scattered just two hits and fanned two.
Texas Southern received the SWAC's automatic bid after winning the championship on Sunday and will advance to the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament.
For more information on Alabama State University baseball, follow us on Twitter @BamaStateBB and like us on Facebook.
