DI/MEAC/SWAC/Baseball
ASU Sports Information
The Alabama State baseball team swept Saturday’s home openers against Florida A&M, winning 11-3 and 7-1 at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
Waldyvan Estrada homered twice as the Hornets (3-3) rolled to a season-high 19 hits in game one and used timely hitting in game two to take both games from the Rattlers (1-4).
“We have been taking better at bats,” said head coach Mervyl Melendez of his team, which hit three home runs in the doubleheader. “It showed today in both games.”
Defensively, Alabama State allowed just four runs and struckout 22 hitters.
“Our pitchers made great adjustments today, especially with the wind blowing out,” Melendez said. “On a day like today, we needed to keep our pitches down in the zone and all of our pitchers were able to do so.”
Game three of the series in Sunday at 1 p.m.
Game 1 – Hornets 11, Florida A&M 3: Cesar Rivera, Einar Muniz, P.J. Harris and Yamil Pagan each had three hits, and Harris and Waldyvan Estrada each homered in the win.
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first, the Hornets scored four times in their first at-bat. With one out, P.J. Biocic singled to right field, before Muniz doubled down the left field line to score Biocic. Estrada then homered on the first pitch of the at-bat to left field to give the Hornets to lead for good. Chris Biocic then singled, stole second, and went to third on a throwing error. Harris’ sacrifice fly scored Biocic for a 4-2 Hornets lead.
Leading 6-3 after three innings, Alabama State broke the game open with four-run fifth. Chris Biocic singled up the middle and advance to second on a balk, and scored on a double to right center field by Hunter Allen. Harris then drilled a two-run homer to left center field, scoring Allen. With two outs, Rivera walked and P.J. Biocic was hit by a pitch. Muniz then singled to center field, scoring Rivera to give the Hornets a 10-3 lead.
T.J. Renda (1-1) went six innings, allowing eight hits, three runs with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Game 2 – Hornets 7, Florida A&M 1: Joseph Camacho allowed just three hits in 6 2/3 innings,while Estrada again homered and had three hits in the nightcap.
After allowing a first-inning run, Camacho walked one and struck out eight.
In the bottom of the first trailing 1-0, Rivera led off with a double to left center field. After an infield single by P.J. Biocic, Muniz’ RBI on a fielder’s choice scored Rivera. After Estrada singled moving Muniz to third, the Hornets pulled off a double steal with Muniz swiping home and Estrada second for a 2-1 lead.
In the second inning, Rivera’s RBI double and P.J. Biocic’s RBI single gave the Hornets a 4-1 lead. Estrada’s two-run homer in the sixth extended the lead 6-1.