MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State used five first inning runs and held off a late Bradley rally to win the final game of the weekend series 9-8 at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex Sunday afternoon.
Alabama State (3-10) fell behind 1-0 after Bradley jumped on the board in the top of the first inning but responded with a run of their own on a
Cristopher DeGuzman single to center that scored
Jabronski Williams after a leadoff triple. They would add to the lead later in the inning after a grand slam from
AJ Gardner to right pushed the lead to 5-1.
Bradley (5-4) pulled to within 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning before the Hornets responded with four more runs in the inning highlighted by another home run. Alabama State pushed the lead to 6-3 on an
Abner Benitez double to left, and then 7-3 on a
Chris Lewis single to center. DeGuzman delivered again for the Hornets, this time with a two-run home run to right that scored Lewis and pushed the lead to 9-3.
Bradley scored one in the eighth and four more in the ninth before
Alexander Castro came in to record his first save of the season by recording the final two outs.
Jordan Gould (2-0) picked up the win, working 6.0 innings and allowed just one run off of four hits with four strikeouts before giving way to three relievers. Castro, the final of the four pitchers, worked the final 0.2 innings and allowed one run (unearned) off of two hits for the save. DeGuzman led Alabama State at the plate, finishing 2-for-3, while the Hornets pounded out five extra base hits in the win.
Alabama State returns to action next weekend, hosting Mississippi Valley State in a three-game series at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex beginning Friday night, and due to COVID-19 protocols only those listed on the player pass list will be admitted into the venue due to socially distant seating. Alabama State is a mask mandatory campus, as are each of the athletic venues.
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