NEW ORLEANS, La. | Alabama State came up short at the 2018 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament after forcing an "if" game against Grambling State, falling 5-1 late Saturday night.
Grambling State (26-25) advanced to the championship game against Texas Southern Sunday afternoon after jumping on top with a three-run third inning highlighted by a two-run Isaiah Torres, and an RBI single by Ace Felder up the middle to extend the lead to 3-0. The Tigers extended the lead to 4-0 in the sixth inning when Rafael Ramirez hit a solo home run down the right field line.
Alabama State (30-22), the East Division champion, got on the board in the sixth inning when
Hunter Phillips hit a sacrifice fly to score
Cage Cox from third base to trim the lead to 4-1. However, Grambling State pushed the lead to four on a fielding error before Alabama State was held scoreless in the ninth to end the contest.
Ray Hernandez led the Hornets in the nightcap, finishing 2-for-3; while Cox finished 2-for-4 and
Noel Cheneau finished 2-4 in the loss.
Channing Walker (1-4) suffered the loss, working 2.2 innings and allowing three runs off of two hits; while
Chase Laney came in to work the final 6.1 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) off of five hits with seven strikeouts.
The Hornets forced the "if" game by winning the first game of the day against Grambling State behind freshman
Alexander Castro on the mound. Castro (1-2) pitched a career-high six innings, allowing just one run off of seven hits with three strikeouts in a 5-1 victory.
Alabama State got on the board first when Phillips doubled to left center to score Cox for a 1-0 lead, before Grambling State tied the game when Marshawn Taylor singled home Felder in the third. The Hornets took the lead in the third when Hernandez and
Yamil Pagan pulled off a double steal, with the throw attempting to get Hernandez sailed into center field to allow Pagan to score for a 2-1 lead. The lead was extended to third when
Gustavo Rios doubled home Hernandez for a 3-1 lead.
The Hornets extended the lead to 4-1 on a Cheneau sacrifice fly to score Cox in the eighth, before
Cristopher DeGuzman singled home
Hunter Allen for the final run of the game.
Phillips and DeGuzman each picked up a pair of hits in the win, while
Dalton Wilder picked up the save as he worked three innings and allowed just one hit and struck out four.
The loss ends the season for the Hornets and the careers of six seniors who helped the Hornets to a conference title and conference tournament title in 2016, and a conference championship berth in 2017.
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