NEW ORLEANS, La. | Alabama State closer Terrell McCall last started a game during his sophomore year, but was given the ball Saturday against Grambling State with a berth in the championship game on the line.

The senior responded, going eight-plus innings and throwing 118 pitches in the start, to help lead Alabama State to their first championship appearance since 2017 with a 5-2 victory at Wesley Barrow Stadium.

McCall (2-1) allowed just two runs in the game on six hits, one in the second and one in the eighth, but only allowed three runners into scoring position during the game. At one point, the senior retired 15 consecutive batters after CJ Mervilus reached on double in the third. Another batter did not reach until Ian Bailey hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. He also walked just one batter and struck out 10 in the win.

After giving up a walk and a single to lead off the ninth, McCall was lifted for Jeremy Rivera who came in to throw two pitches and record three outs – using a double play and a ground ball to short that ended the contest for his second save.

Alabama State (28-25) got on the board in the first inning when Santiago Garcia drove in Noel Cheneau after a triple by the senior for the 1-0 lead. After Grambling State tied the game at 1-all, the Hornets responded with three more in the fifth with RBI hits by Garcia and Angel Jimenez – a two-run double – to extend the lead to 4-1. They used another run in the seventh on an RBI single by Cameron Hearn to push the lead to 5-1 before the Bailey home run.

Garcia led Alabama State at the plate, finishing the day 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Cheneau finished 2-for-4 and Jimenez 2-for-3 in the win.

Alabama State will face the winner of the Texas Southern-Southern contest Sunday morning at 11:30 am. The game can be seen on ESPNNEWS.

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