The Grambling State University baseball team opened its 2022 campaign in grand fashion, dominating Jackson State 10-1 in the Andre Dawson Classic hosted by Major League Baseball at Wesley Barrow Stadium on Friday evening.
Shemar Page (1-0) got the start on the mound for GSU, working 6.1 innings, surrendering just two hits and striking out nine batters.
At the plate, Grambling State (1-0) got a big outing from John Garcia. Garcia went 3-for-5 with five RBI and one double. Julian Murphy and Jaficur Parker also had multi-hit games. Murphy went 2-for-5 with a home run a double and three RBI, while Parker went 2-for-4.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Jackson State (0-1) scored its lone run in the top of the first inning when Chenar Brown drove in a run on an RBI single.
- Julian Murphy put GSU in front in with a two-run homer, his first of the season, in the bottom of the fourth inning, putting Grambling State up 2-0.
- In the following inning, John Garcia picked up his first two RBIs of the day, driving Cameron Bufford and Trevor Hatton around to score, extending GSU’s advantage to 4-1.
- In the seventh inning, Garcia followed a one out single from Bufford, with an RBI double.
- Grambling State put JSU away for good in the eighth inning, plating five runs to go on top 10-1.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Grambling State registered 11 hits with no errors.
- Jackson State managed two hits, and committed two errors.
- Shemar Page had a dominant outing, striking out nine batters while surrendering just two hits.
- The GSU bullpen allowed no runs, no walks and no hits. Corbin Peters tossed 1.2 innings, fanning two batters. Michale Mims III finished the game, pitching 1.0 innings, also registering two Ks.
- Colby Guy (0-1) picked up the loss for JSU, going 4.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits, along with eight strikeouts and three walks.