MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State swept a doubleheader from Toledo, winning both games in walk-off fashion Saturday to claim the series over the Rockets at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

Game One – Alabama State 7, Toledo 6
Alabama State fell behind late in the contest against Toledo (1-9), trailing 6-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning of the opener Saturday. However, the Hornets were able to trim the lead to 6-5 with an RBI off the bat of AJ Gardner to score Dilan Espinal in the bottom of the eighth inning.

After Toledo was retired in the eighth, Alabama State used a one-out walk to Jabronski Williams to get the inning started. During a strikeout, Williams was able to steal second with two outs and later tied the game on a fielding error off the bat of Santiago Garcia. After Garcia was lifted for Ian Matos as a pinch runner, Espinal single to right center field to score Matos from second with the winning run.

Jeremy Rivera (3-1) picked up the win for Alabama State with 5.0 innings of relief work and allowed three runs (two earned) off six hits, with six strikeouts. He came on in relief of Breon Pooler who started the game and went 4.0 innings and allowed three runs (all unearned) on four hits with five strikeouts.

Espinal led the hitting attack for Alabama State, going 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI, while Trenton Jamison finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in and connected on his first career home run.

Game Two – Alabama State 3, Toledo 2
Alabama State (9-3) was kept off balance most of the night by Toledo, being held to just one hit in the contest, but managed to take advantage of one Rockets' error and 10 walks issued by the Toledo pitching staff.

After taking an early lead in the third on the only hit of the night, a Williams triple to score Cristopher DeGuzman, the Hornets added another run in the seventh on a fielding error by Toledo to take a 2-0 lead. However, Toledo came right back and tied the game in the eighth with a pair of runs at 2-all.

Matos led off the ninth inning for the Hornets and was hit by a pitch, before advancing to second on a wild pitch. After a walk to Gardner, both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Luis Rodriguez for the first out of the inning. After a strikeout, Espinal walked and Matos scored on a wild pitch for the win.

Payton Harris (1-0), the third pitcher of the game for the Hornets, picked up the win working 1.0 innings and allowing just one hit and recording two strikeouts. He came on in relief of Britt Buckelew who worked 2.1 innings of relief and gave up two runs (one earned) and struck out one in relief of starter Ricardo Rivera. The sophomore went 5.2 innings to start and did not allow a run off of three hits and struck out 10.

The teams will conclude the series at 11 am Sunday at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

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