DI/SWAC/Baseball
Alabama State Sports Information
The Alabama State baseball team was dominant in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of Jackson State, winning 16-4 in seven innings and 12-3 at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
Alabama State (15-10 overall, 9-2 SWAC) clinched its 15th consecutive conference series win and will go for the series sweep against the Tigers (15-10, 4-5) Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
“I thought our guys did a very good job,” Alabama State baseball coach Mervyl Melendez said. “The approach at the plate was good. We didn’t over swing, we didn’t over do it, and were patient at the plate. I thought our pitching could have been better, but it kept us in the ball game. Today was about making adjustments at the plate and we did a good job.”
Game 1 – Hornets 16, Jackson State 4 (7): Waldyvan Estrada homered as Alabama State batted around in the third and fourth innings, scoring six runs in each frame, to break the game open.
Trailing 3-2, Yamil Pagan was hit by a pitch before Waldyvan Estrada hit a two-run homer to put the Hornets ahead for good. P. J. Harris walked, and following an error and walk to load the bases, Manny Rodriguez’ RBI single scored Harris for a 5-3 Hornet lead. Hunter Allen then scored on a wild pitch after a strikeout, ahead of Cesar Rivera’s two-run double down the right field line scored Rodriguez and Ray Hernandez for an 8-3 Alabama State lead.
In the fourth, Harris and Allen walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Rodriguez tripled to right center to score both runners. On a walk to Joseph Estrada, Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch to extend to an 11-3 lead. Rivera singled and P.J. Biocic walked to load the bases before Pagan’s sacrifice fly scored Joseph Estrada. After a walk to reload the bases, Harris singled to right field, scoring Rivera and Biocic for a 14-3 Hornet lead.
Harris went 2-for-3, scored twice and drove in four runs, while Rivera (3-for-6, 3R), Waldyvan Estrada (1-2, 1 R) and Rodriguez (3-for-3, 2 R) each drove in three runs. Joseph Camacho improved to 5-0, allowing nine hits, four runs (two unearned), with three walks and five strikeouts.
Game 2 – Hornets 12, Jackson St. 3: Harris homered as Alabama State scored at least two runs in five of the final six innings to win the nightcap.
Trailing 3-2 in the fourth, the Hornets took the lead for good. Joseph Estrada singled to lead off the inning. With one out, Biocic singled to right field and went to second on a fielding error, allowing Estrada to score from first. Pagan was safe on an infield single, moving Biocic to third, and later scored on a passed ball, moving Pagan to second. Waldyvan Estrada and Allen each were hit by pitch around a fly out. Hernandez then doubled down the left field line, scoring Pagan and Estrada for a 6-2 Alabama State lead.
In the fifth, Joseph Estrada was hit by a pitch and Rivera walked to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Waldyvan Estrada’s two-run single scored Joseph Estrada and Rivera for an 8-3 Hornet lead.
Waldyvan Estrada (3-for-5, 3 R) and Harris (2-for-4, 1 R) each had three RBI. Hunter McIntosh (3-0) went six innings, allowing four hits, three runs with five walks and five strikeouts.