MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Niguel Jenkins delivered a three-run home run along with a solid pitching outing as Alabama State baseball secured a 5-2 victory over Southern University on Sunday at Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex. The win clinched the Southwestern Athletic Conference series two games to one.
The Hornets (10-11, 2-3 SWAC) combined timely hitting with a strong pitching performance to take control of the rubber match and close out the weekend on a high note.
Jenkins led the offensive effort, finishing 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored. His fourth-inning blast to center field broke a 1-1 tie and gave Alabama State a lead it would not relinquish.
Breydon Divine provided a spark at the top of the lineup, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Jackson Williams added a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI. Fabian Santana chipped in with a hit and an RBI, and Miguel Oropeza also crossed the plate in the win as the Hornets totaled nine hits.
On the mound, Alabama State received a strong start from Trey Power, who earned the win to improve to 3-2 on the season. The right-hander worked 5.2 innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out eight and walking three.
The bullpen preserved the lead over the final innings. Joe Dolinshek tossed 2.1 innings, surrendering one run on four hits with two strikeouts, while Zane Baltz closed the door to earn his second save of the season, striking out one batter in a scoreless ninth.
James Peterson also contributed out of the bullpen, recording two outs without allowing a run.
Alabama State struck first in the opening inning when Santana drove in Oropeza with a single to right center. After Southern tied the game in the third, Jenkins' three-run homer in the fourth shifted momentum firmly in favor of the Hornets.
The Hornets added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings, including an RBI single from Williams and another run-scoring hit from Jenkins, extending the lead to 5-1 before Southern added a late run in the ninth.
Alabama State returns to the diamond against Georgia State on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
