Armando Jackson, Talladega College’s catcher and a Black College Nines’ All-Elite, hit a home run in the tenth inning to break a 5-5 tie and the ultimate upset of Shreveport Bracket top seed LSU-Shreveport (La.) in the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round on Tuesday. Talladega continues to play in the winner’s bracket and improves to (40-16).
The Tornadoes carried the momentum from a thrilling first-round victory earlier in the day and into the nightcap, where they defeated one of the top offenses in the NAIA. Miguel Oropeza and Armando Jackson home runs paced Talladega. Oropeza, Black College Nines’ All-Elites Player of the Year, hit two home runs in the game while going 2-for-4 with 3 runs batted in. Nomar Garcias, Issac Guzman, and Armando Jackson each had a run batted in. Guzman was 2-for-3 and Jackson went 2-for-4 at the plate including the game’s winning hit.
Tornadoes starter and Black College Nines All-Elites Pitcher of the Year Samuel Guadamuz, threw 5.1 innings allowing six hits and three runs, striking out five LSU-Shreveport batters. In relief, Jack Woods threw 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and two runs, Juan De Dios went 1.2 innings giving up just one hit, and Herson Fernandez closed for Talladega throwing 1.2 innings while not allowing a hit, or a run and striking out one batter.
With the win, Talladega advances to the winner’s bracket, where they will battle No. 3 seed Kansas Wesleyan on Wednesday.
Talladega College took the game’s first lead, plating two runs in the first inning to start the game up 2-0. They would add another run in the top of the third for a 3-0 lead.
LSU-Shreveport scored two runs in the bottom of the third, still down by one run 3-2.
LSU-Shreveport tied the contest at 3-3 in the fifth, then Talladega plated a run for a 4-3 advantage in the seventh inning before LSU-Shreveport picked up two runs in the bottom of the inning for a 5-4 lead.
Talladega’s late-inning rally tied the game at 5-5 on an Oropeza home run in the ninth inning before Jackson’s home run won it in the tenth claiming the 6-5 victory.
The one-run was more than enough for Fernandez, who was on cruise control in the tenth picking up the win.