After a hard-fought win, congratulations go out to Alabama State, the 2022 Southwestern Athletic Conference champions. The Hornets defeat of Southern University was one of the best games ever played in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship. While the two traded leads throughout the game up until the last out in extra innings, it will also be remembered as a well run and organized tournament by the SWAC officials.
The game itself will go down as a classic for years to come. The win clinched the first SWAC Baseball Championship for the Alabama State since 2016 and the first for head coach Jose’ Vazquez. The win also cements the Hornets a trip to the NCAA Baseball Regionals opening against the nation’s top team No. 1 seed Tennessee in the Knoxville Regionals.
But the game itself, and the play on the field took center stage for those in attendance and watching nationwide on ESPN3. As the ninth inning came and went, all that scoreboard showed were two identical 4-4 scores. Suddenly, the mood of the day was being pushed through a funnel. With each pitch the pressure grew on the players and even began creeping into the stands with ceaseless, nervous sounds of conversation and speculation. This could be felt in the press box I was perched in.
The tension that built on both teams and the coaches was an intensely beautiful competitive pressure. The athletes on the field didn’t wither from it. They relished in it. If they were gassed, they did not show it.
The SWAC championship is now widely considered to be the greatest HBCU baseball game ever played. It was a pitching duel for the ages between stars, all of whom ground their way into extra innings like earthmovers, saturating the box score for more than three hours, until a final score of 6-5 was finally hung on the scoreboard as the sun drifted into the western sky over the Regions Field ballpark in Birmingham. The two teams left the field that late afternoon to a standing ovation.
The game had so many storylines. It all started right after the first pitch…
Storyline 1: In the top of the first inning, Alabama State got on the board first. With a man on base, Hunter May drilled a home run to left center field for a 2-0 lead.
Storyline 2: In the bottom of the first inning, Southern’s leadoff hitter, Jaylen Armstrong, singled through the infield passed the third base line. Jovante Dorris’ grounder resulted in a throwing error by Alabama State shortstop Cristopher DeGuzman sending Armstrong to third base and moving Dorris to second. Armstrong would score on a wild pitch from Hornets starter Shadai Colon making it a 2-1 score at the end of one.
Storyline 3: Next, Southern’s Nathaniel Lai took a 1-2 pitch drilling it to deep left center for a home run, tying the ball game 2-2.
Storyline 4: In the top of the third inning, Alabama State would answer right back with a home run from Kyler McIntosh to left field for a 3-2 lead.
Storyline 5: Next, with two outs, ASU’s Williams tripled down the right field line, but was stranded on a Matos fly ball out to left.
Storyline 6: To start the bottom of the fourth inning, Tremaine Spears belts his second home run of the SWAC Tournament tying the game at 3-3. Nathaniel Lai reached base after being hit by Colon. Payton Harris comes in relief and gives up a hit to Tabb moving runners to first and second with no outs. Caleb Tart hits into a double play to the ASU short stop DeGuzman. JJ Rollon singles up the middle moving Tabb to second Armstrong reaches base on an infield singles to load the bases. But Dorris’ pop up to the outfield leaving three runners stranded.
Storyline 7: In the bottom of the fifth, Southern’s Taj Porter walked, then Spears’ fly to right resulted in an out. Lai singled to left and Porter moved to second. Tabb singled to load the bases with two outs, but the next batter struck out on a 1-2 count to end a bases loaded threat.
Storyline 8: In the seventh inning, Alabama State’s Matos doubled down third base line. King singled, moving Matos to third. With runners on the corner and no outs, McIntosh singled to right scoring Matos. Next Deguzman flied out and May was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a 4-6-3 double play ended the inning. ASU goes up 4-3.
Storyline 9: In the bottom of the seventh, Southern’s Burgos was hit by a pitch, before Porter popped out in foul territory and Spears was walked. Next, Breon Pooler, Hornets relief pitcher, replaced Harris. Tabbs then laced a single up the middle scoring Burgos to knot the game at 4-4.
Storyline 10: In the ninth inning, both Alabama State and Southern University got men on base, but neither were able to push across the winning run. The game goes into extra innings.
Storyline 11: In the top of 12th inning, Lewis walked, Jamison’s grounder resulted in an error, moving Lewis to second and Jamison to first. A wild pitch moved runners to second and third, and the next batter Lopez struck out. Williams was then intentional walked to load the bases setting up a force play at any base. Matos struck out looking and King’s line drive out to second ended the threat.
Storyline 12: In the top of 13th inning, Alabama State’s McIntosh walked, DeGuzman sacrificed McIntosh to second and May was intentionally walked. Next, Lewis struck out swinging, but Jamison reached on a throwing error scoring McIntosh for a 5-4 lead. The next batter, Lopez, was hit by pitch and Jamison advanced to second before Williams flied out to left field.
Storyline 13: In the bottom of 13th inning, Southern University’s Armstrong singled to right field, and Dorris singled through the left side. With runners on first and second, Pooler walked Burgos to load the bases. Osvaldo Mendez then came in to pitch for Pooler. Sanchez grounded into an infield double play with Armstrong scoring knotting the game up at 5-5. On the batted ball, Dorris advanced to third, Spears was intentionally walked, then Quincy Smith pinch hit for Latulas, but flied out to right field.
Storyline 14: In the top of 14th inning, Jerry Burkett came in to pitch for Page. Alabama State’s Matos singled through third base and King doubled to right center scoring Matos, making it a 6-5 ballgame.
Storyline 15: In the bottom of 14th inning, Tabb flied out to right field, Isaiah Adams pinch hit for Tart, and both Adams and the next batter Rollo were walked on 3-2 counts. Then with runners on first and second, Armstrong grounded into double play, third to first, to end the game.
Alabama State is the 2022 SWAC Champion and clinched an NCAA Division I Regional berth.