Keylon Mack homered twice, including a three-run shot, as the Grambling State University baseball team evened its Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series on Friday afternoon with a 10-4 victory over Texas Southern at MacGregor Park.
Grambling State (14-20 overall, 9-5 SWAC) also got great pitching on the mound as Jacorey Boudreaux worked six strong innings to earn his fifth victory of the season. The Houston, Texas native fanned a season-high eight strikeouts as Grambling State got back into the win column.
HOW IT HAPPENED
– Texas Southern (16-16, 7-7) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Justin Cooper belted a one-out homer
– Grambling State tied the game at 1 in the second as Trevor Hatton led off the frame with a base hit to center. John Garcia was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a Julian Murphy ground out as Hatton was out on the play.
– Garcia scored when Cameron Bufford reached on an error
– GSU broke the 1-all tie with three runs on three hits in the top half of the third inning
– Daylon Ardoin opened the inning with a single to left and stopped at second when Terry Burrell III reached on a walk. Jarficur Parker loaded the bases with a bunt single
– Shemar Page flied out to left for the sacrifice fly as Ardoin scored
– Garcia ripped a 2-1 pitch to left field for a double, plating Burrell and Parker, giving GSU a 4-1 advantage
– Back came Texas Southern in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on a pair of hits, tying the game at 4
– Grambling State broke the 4-4 tie in the top of the fifth with four runs on four hits
– Hatton began the frame with a solo homer to left
– With one down, Murphy singled to center and moved to second on a Bufford slapped a base hit to left
– Both runners came in to score on a Keylon Mack three-run shot to right, giving GSU the 8-4 lead
– Grambling State picked up a run in the eighth as Hatton, who was hit by a pitch with one down, came around to score when Murphy reached on an error as GSU extended the lead to 9-4
– A solo homer by Mack gave Grambling State some insurance as GSU increased the advantage to 10-4
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
– Grambling State scored 10 runs on 12 hits, with one error, and left 10 on base
– Texas Southern finished with four runs on six hits, recorded three errors and stranded 10 on base
– Keylon Mack paced the Grambling State offense by going 3-for-5, with four RBI and two runs scored
– Trevor Hatton and John Garcia each went 2-for-4 at the plate
– Jarficur Parker, Cameron Bufford, Daylon Ardoin each collected one hit
– Jacorey Boudreaux (4-2) pitched six strong innings, giving up four runs on four hits, fanned a season-high eight batters, with five walks
– Malik Abdul pitched the final three innings to earn his first save of the season. He
– Jordan Martinez (2-4) started on the mound for TSU, lasting 3.2 innings. He surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits, with three walks and three strikeouts
– Alex Olguin and A.J. Winger worked in relief