NEW ORLEANS, La. | Alabama State came up one game short of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship, falling to Southern 15-0 in front of a capacity crowd at Wesley Barrow Stadium Sunday afternoon.
After a four-hour rain delay, Southern (32-22) scored three runs in the first two innings, including a pair of runs in the second inning on a two-run home run off the bat of Bobby Johnson to push the lead to 3-0. They extended the lead with four in the fifth and three in the sixth to push the lead to double digits.
Eli Finney (6-2) picked up the win, allowing just three hits from Alabama State in the contest. He went 8.1 innings, allowing just five baserunners with a pair of walks and six strikeouts. He gave way to Conner Whalen who recorded the last two outs.
Darren Kelly (6-3), working on just three days' rest, suffered the loss as he worked 4.0-plus innings and allowed six runs (all earned) on five hits. He walked one and struck out one on 60 pitches in his last collegiate start.
Ricardo Rivera came on in relief of Kelly to work 1.2 innings and gave up four runs (all earned) on five hits, before giving way to
Jeremy Rivera – the third of five pitchers used on the day for the Hornets.
Jeremy Rivera, an all-tournament selection after a win and save in the tournament, worked 1.0 inning allowing three runs (all unearned) on a pair of hits with a strikeout. He was followed by
Alexander Castro and
Nate Gerard, who held Southern without a hit for 0.2 of an inning.
Rivera was joined on the all-tournament team by
Santiago Garcia and
Terrell McCall, as Garcia finished with eight hits and six runs batted in during the tournament. Meanwhile, McCall picked up a win (over Grambling State to get the Hornets to the championship game) and a save.
The appearance in the championship game by Alabama State (28-26) is the third in the last four years for the Hornets, winning the title back in 2016.
The loss brought an end to the careers of seven Hornets including Kelly,
Darrius Wright,
Noel Cheneau,
Oscar Prioleau,
Yamil Pagan, McCall and Gerard. Over the span of their careers), the class finished with a record of 127-89 (including 78-17 in conference play) with three division championships and a SWAC championship.
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