Hornets Win Extra-Inning Thriller
NEW ORLEANS – Raul Perez’ bases-loaded walk scored Richard Amion with the winning run as Alabama State defeated Grambling State 11-10 in 11 innings in day one of the SWAC Baseball Tournament.
Alabama State (35-19) advanced to Thursday’s 6 p.m. game against Alcorn State, a 5-4 winner over Texas Southern in 10 innings.
Amion, who went 4-for-6 with a pair of triples, three runs scored, and two RBI, led off the 11th with a double off the right field wall. After a sacrifice bunt by Cesar Rivera moved Amion to third, Waldyvan Estrada and Emmanuel Marrero were intentionally walked to load the bases. Perez then walked on a 3-1 pitch, scoring Amion.
The Hornets led 8-3 after four innings before Grambling (14-31) chipped away with one run in the sixth, two in the seventh, and three in the eighth to take a 9-8 lead. Alabama State regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer by Dillon Cooper, his third of the season.
Grambling State tied the game with a solo home run in the top of the ninth to tie the score, setting up the dramatic win for the Hornets in their first extra-inning game of the season.
Hunter McIntosh (3-2) was stellar in relief, pitching the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, no runs and five strikeouts.
Between the 10th and 11th innings, McIntosh struck out four straight Tigers.
Marrero went 3-for-4 as he and Richard Gonzalez hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning. Brandon Castro and Einar Muniz each had two hits.
Camacho’s Gem Moves Hornets to Semifinals
NEW ORLEANS – SWAC Pitcher of the Year Joseph Camacho’s complete-game effort sparked Alabama State to a 6-2 win over Alcorn State Thursday at Barrow Stadium.
Camacho allowed just four hits, two runs with no walks and four strikeouts as he improved to 10-1 on the season as Alabama State (36-19) advanced to the semifinals Friday at 6 p.m. against the Alcorn State – Grambling State winner.
“He had a great performance,” head coach Mervyl Melendez said of Camacho. “He kept the ball down, and gave us nine very good innings. He was the difference in the ball game. Minus the one pitch he left up in the seventh inning, Camacho kept the ball down for the most part.”
After Alcorn State (12-40) erased a two-run deficit to tie the game at 2-2 after seven innings, the Hornets scored three runs in the eighth. Waldyvan Estrada walked, Marcus Swint pinch ran for him, and Richard Gonzalez was hit by a pitch. On a sacrifice bunt by Emmanuel Marrero, a throwing error down the first base line allowed Swint and Gonzalez to score. Dexter Price’s infield single scored Marrero to give Alabama State a 5-2 lead.
In the ninth, Richard Amion, Cesar Rivera and Marcus Swint all singled to load the bases. On a triple steal, Amion stole home for the final margin.
“Resiliency is one big part of what this team is about,” Melendez said. “When the game gets tougher, our guys get tougher, and that’s a great trait to have as a baseball team.”
