DI/SWAC/Baseball
JSU Sports Media
JACKSON, Miss. – The Jackson State University baseball team improved to a 25-14 overall record and an 11-5 Southwestern Athletic Conference mark after sweeping the first two games of a three-game series against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Robert “Bob” Braddy, Sr. Field Sunday evening. JSU won the first game 6-5, in exciting fashion when Bryce Brown scored the game winning run on a wild pitch, and dominated to win the second game 9-3.
With the win the Tigers take over second place in the SWAC Eastern Division. With the loss Alabama A&M falls to a 21-22, 13-7 record.
Game 1:
Four Tigers posted two hits to lead JSU to the 6-5 victory. Melvin Rodriguez, who is ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division I baseball in batting average, went 2-3 at the plate with a home run and three RBIs. Brown went 2-4 and scored two runs, while Sam Campbell posted two hits and a RBI. Jesus Santana also posted a pair of hits. The Tigers scored their six runs on six hits and had an error.
Jamal Wilson (3-3) pitched 1.2 innings in relief to pick up the win. He didn’t allow a hit and struck out three batters. Jevon Jacobs started the game. In 7.1 innings of work he struck out eight batters.
JSU trailed 3-0 going into the bottom of the seventh. The Tigers scored four runs, powered by a Rodriguez homer, to take a 4-3 lead. Brown scored JSU’s first run on a Lamar Briggs RBI single to center field. With two runners on base, Rodriguez homered to give the Tigers their first lead, 4-3.
AAMU briefly reclaimed the lead, 5-4, scoring a pair of runs in the eighth inning. JSU tied the game 5-5 at the bottom of the inning and won the game in the ninth on a wild pitch.
Game 2:
Vincent Anthonia (2-2) pitched a gutsy 7.2 innings to pick up the win. He scattered 10 hits and recorded four strikeouts. Anthonia received run support from his teammate as the Tigers scored nine runs on 11 hits. Rodriguez and Santana each homered in the game, with each player getting their fifth of the season.
JSU scored the first two runs of the game in the first inning when Rodriguez hit a two run blast, scoring Briggs. The Tigers added another two runs in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Sam Campbell scored on a wild pitch, making the score 5-0 in the third.
JSU held a commanding 7-1 advantage after Santana homered in the fifth inning. The Tigers remained in control for the rest of the game scoring two insurance runs in the eighth.
Rodriguez finished the game, going 3-4 at the plate with a run and three RBIs. Brown also went 3-4 with a run and Kendal Davis went 2-3 with a run. Gary Thomas recorded a hit and scored two runs.
JSU and AAMU return to action at Braddy Field Monday, April 20. First pitch is set for 1 pm. The game can be viewed live at www.jsutigers.com. For more information about Jackson State athletics, check back with www.jsutigers.com and follow the Tigers at twitter.com/jstatetigers. For ticket information call the JSU Athletics Ticket Office at 601-979-2420.