GAME 2 | Alabama State 9 Southern Indiana 2
MONTGOMERY, AL --Alabama State baseball got contributions from every part of their lineup, as all nine starters reached base safely, helping the Hornets put nine runs on the board earn a 9-2 win in the night cap of a doubleheader at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseblal Complex on Saturday.
Sophomore Jafet Martinez (1-0) started on the mound and picked up the win for Alabama State (1-2). The right-hander went five shutout innings while giving up three hits, allowing no walks and striking out three. Junior Kameron Douglas also made an impact on the mound for the Hornets, starting the ballgame and throwing one shutout inning while allowing no hits, with one walk and one strikeout.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hornets got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Alabama State got an RBI single from Douglas, scoring sophomore Juan Cruz from second base.
The Hornets then held the Golden Flyers scoreless before getting back on the board the very next inning. The Alabama State offense exploded for four runs, highlighted by a one-run double off the bat of Cruz, which brought the score to 5-0 in favor of the Hornets.
Alabama State held Nazareth without a run before expanding their lead to 7-0 the following inning.
Alabama State held the Golden Flyers without a run before building on their lead in the fifth inning. The Hornets sent in a run on Cruz's two-out solo homer off sophomore Abdriel Figueroa, bringing the Alabama State advantage to 8-0.
Nazareth got within 8-1 until the Hornets scored again in the sixth inning to stretch its lead to 9-1. Alabama State pushed across a run on freshman Fabian Santana's two-out RBI double. Nazareth put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Hornets still coasted to the 9-2 win.
GAME NOTES
» The Hornets power output was led by Cruz, who had two extra base hits in the ballgame.
» Every Alabama State starter reached base safely in the win.
» Alabama State's highest scoring inning was the second, when it pushed four runs across.
» Alabama State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» The Hornets out-hit the Golden Flyers at a 7-6 clip.
» Junior Kelvin Agosto stole two bases in Saturday's game.
» Alabama State pitchers limited Nazareth to just 1-for-9 (.111) with runners in scoring position.
» Alabama State pitchers faced 38 Nazareth hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and five fly balls while striking out eight.
» The Hornets drew 14 walks from Nazareth pitching.
» Cruz led the Hornets at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI.
» Nazareth was led offensively by sophomore Parker Martin, who went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
» Freshman Marshall Loch led the Golden Flyers pitching staff, throwing one scoreless inning.
GAME 1 | Southern Indiana 12, Alabama State 8
MONTGOMERY, AL --Sophomore Juan Cruz put together a brilliant performance at the plate Saturday, hitting two homers, but the Alabama State Hornets fell to the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles 12-8.
Junior Caleb Sanders (0-1) got the ball to start for Alabama State (0-2) and took the loss. Senior Javon Christian was a bright spot for the Hornets, coming out of the bullpen and throwing one shutout inning, allowing one hit, with no walks and one strikeout.
Cruz went 3-for-5 at the plate, supplementing his two home runs with four RBIs. Senior Kyler McIntosh added to Cruz's awesome power-hitting performance by going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI along with one walk. Junior Wilbert Espinal also helped out for the Hornets, going 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk and an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing 5-0, the Hornets first put runs on the board in the second inning. Alabama State plated two runs when McIntosh left the yard with senior DeMarckus Smiley aboard.
The Hornets deficit expanded to 8-2 before their offense got back on the scoreboard, cutting into that deficit in the fourth inning. Alabama State picked up a run on junior Kameron Douglas' one-out solo home run off of junior Andres Gonzalez, which brought the score to 8-3 in favor of the Screaming Eagles.
Southern Indiana built their lead to 10-3 before the Alabama State offense got back in action, reducing that lead to 10-4 in the fifth. The Hornets scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Cruz.
The Screaming Eagles expanded their lead to 11-4 before the Alabama State offense got back in action, cutting into that lead in the seventh. The Hornets scored twice on back-to-back home runs from Espinal and Cruz, tightening the Southern Indiana lead to 11-6.
Southern Indiana built on their lead to 12-6 before the Hornets offense got back in action, reducing that lead to 12-8 in the ninth. Alabama State scored twice on Cruz's two-run homer. The Hornets were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.
GAME NOTES
» Alabama State got a two-homer day from Cruz.
» Cruz led the Hornets, picking up three base hits in the ballgame.
» Alabama State's power output was led by Cruz, who had two extra base hits in the ballgame.
» Cruz drove in four runs for the Hornets.
» Alabama State's highest scoring inning was the ninth, when it pushed two runs across.
» The Hornets took Southern Indiana pitchers deep five times on Saturday.
» Alabama State pitchers faced 52 Southern Indiana hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out four.
» The Hornets drew five walks from Southern Indiana pitching.
» Cruz led the Hornets at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI.
» Southern Indiana was led offensively by freshman Kannon Coakley, who went 5-for-5 with three doubles and two RBI.
» Freshman Colin Wolfe led the Screaming Eagles pitching staff, throwing one scoreless inning.
