Alabama State pulled away from Samford with a five-run sixth inning, sweeping the season series over the Bulldogs with an 11-3 victory at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex Wednesday night.
Alabama State (2-8) grabbed an early lead scoring a pair of runs in the first when Trenton Jamison drove in Cameron Hearn with a single to center for the 1-0 lead before Chris Lewis lined out to the pitcher, but Jamison was able to advance to second and scored on an error by the left fielder for a 2-0 lead. The Hornets extended the lead in the second when Hunter May scored on another Samford error for a 3-0 lead.
The lead grew to 4-0 when Abner Benitez connected on first career home run in the fourth inning before the five-run sixth inning. In that inning, Alabama State scored first on a two-run double by Hunter May to push the lead to 6-0 before Hearn delivered a two-run single for an 8-0 lead. The final run of the inning came on a Jamison single.
After Samford was able to get on the board in the seventh, Alabama State answered with another two runs on a Jayden Sloan triple to center that scored May and Benitez for an 11-1 lead before Samford added a pair in the ninth for the final margin.
Benitez finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while Jamison finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and May scored three runs. Austin King (1-1) picked up the win, working 5.0 innings and allowing four hits and striking out five, while Jacknell Guzman replaced King and worked 3.2 innings and allowed three runs off of seven hits. He gave way to Ryan Velazquez who recorded the final out to preserve the win.
Alabama State returns to action this weekend, hosting Bradley 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.