HUNTSVILLE, Ala. | Alabama A&M took advantage of six Alabama State errors in the second game of the series at Bulldog Field Saturday afternoon, en route to a 7-6 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory, in which all seven runs were unearned.
After Alabama State took a one-run lead in the top of the eighth inning on a
Cage Cox double to right center that scored pinch runner
AJ Gardner from second for a 6-5 lead. However, Alabama A&M scored their sixth unearned run of the day, and their only earned run, in the bottom of the eighth inning on a double down the left field line by Jonathan Smith II for the final margin.
Alabama State started the day off with a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run home run off the bat of
Gustavo Rios, his second of the season, to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead. They added to the lead in the third with a
Ray Hernandez single through the left side that scored
Joseph Estrada.
All of that before Alabama State allowed Alabama A&M to get back into the contest.
Alabama A&M got on the board in the fifth when Justin Lott hit into a routine double play, until the Hernandez committed the third Hornets' error of the day when his throw went to the fence and allowed Carson McGregory to score and trim the Alabama State lead to 3-1. The Bulldogs added a pair of runs in the fifth after the Hornets' fourth error of the day when
Yamil Pagan threw the ball wide of first and allowed a pair of runs to score to tie the game at 3-all.
The Bulldogs were able to add another two in the sixth with two outs in the frame. Smith reached on a throwing error by
Santiago Garcia that allowed Lott to score from second and give them a 4-3 lead, before Smith scored on a single later in the inning for a 5-3 Alabama A&M lead.
Alabama State tied the game in the seventh at 5-all to set the stage for the eighth inning for both teams. The Hornets used a lead-off walk to
Cage Cox to start the inning, followed by a single off the bat of
Joseph Estrada that pushed Cox to second. Both runners moved up 90 feet when
Gustavo Rios walked, and Cox scored when
Hunter Allen drew a five-pitch walk to trim the deficit to 5-4. The Hornets tied it up on seven-pitch walk to
Hunter Phillips, before Garcia grounded out into an inning-ending double play.
Ivanniel Vazquez (0-2) suffered the loss in relief, working 2.1 innings and allowing two runs off of four hits. He was in relief of starter
Darrius Wright who worked 5.2 innings, allowing five runs off of three hits with five strikeouts. Five Alabama A&M pitched combined to scatter nine hits, while walking seven and striking out four Alabama State batters.
Estrada finished the day 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and a walk for Alabama State, while Rios was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored – with one walk. Meanwhile, Hernandez finished 2-for-5 with an RBI on the day in the loss.
The two teams meet in the rubber game of the series beginning at 1 pm Sunday afternoon at Bulldog Field.
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