MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Yamil Pagan and Ray Hernandez each homered, and Darrius Wright went eight innings as Alabama State claimed the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series victory over Alabama A&M with a 12-4 victory Saturday afternoon at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
 
Wright (6-1) kept Alabama A&M off balance for most of the day until a rocky eighth inning, as he held the Bulldogs to four hits through the first seven innings. The junior finished the day with just a pair of walks, while striking out a career-high nine in the win. He allowed a single hit in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings before Alabama A&M (7-29, 4-13 SWAC) was able to get to him with four runs off of five hits in the eighth inning.
 
Channing Walker came on for the final inning of scoreless relief, as he allowed just one hit with one strikeout.
 
Alabama State (19-15, 13-4 SWAC) got started early when Joseph Estrada led off the game with a single, and later came around to score when Hernandez grounded into a fielder's choice which was followed by an errant throw to give Alabama State a 1-0 lead. The Hornets added to that lead in the sixth when Hernandez led off the inning with his eighth home run of the season, followed by three more hits in the inning by the Hornets – including a double from Oscar Prioleau.
 
The Hornets answered Alabama A&M in the bottom of the eighth inning after the Bulldogs cut the lead to 5-4, with seven runs of their own in the inning. The first four batters of the inning either reached on a walk or hit by pitch, before Pagan connected on the first grand slam of the season for the Hornets to push the lead to 10-4. The final two runs of the game came on an RBI singles by Cage Cox and Cristopher DeGuzman.
 
Pagan finished the day 4-for-5 with four runs batted in, finishing just a double shy of the cycle; while DeGuzman finished 2-for-4 with a pair runs batted in. Gustavo Rios, Cox and Hunter Allen each finished with a pair of hits in the inning.
 
The two teams meet for the final game of the series Sunday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 1 pm. The Hornets will honor their seniors prior to the start of the game around 12:45 pm, and all of the pregame festivities – along with the game – can be heard on the Hornet Sports Network.
 
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