BRAVES TAKE SWAC TITLE, DEFEATS SOUTHERN 12-6
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BRAVES TAKE SWAC TITLE, DEFEATS SOUTHERN 12-6

The Alcorn State Braves won their first ever SWAC baseball championship by beating Southern University 12-6 Sunday in Fair Park Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.  The Braves took advantage of home runs by tournament MVP Kilby Perdomo and Kenny Rowan to taste what no other Alcorn State baseball lteam has ever tasted, the SWAC championship. Rowan was 2 for 3 on the day and drove
in three runs. He, along with pitcher Steve Easter and Eduardo Gonzalez were also named to the All Tournament Team.
   
Brent Blaum went 5 and one-third innings for the Braves to pick up the historic win, and Braves ace righty Easter went 3 and two thirds to seal the win. Easter yielded only one run during his stint while Blaum picked up his second win of the year. The Braves jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Perdomo homerun, his third of the tournament.  Southern tied it at one all on a Cameron McGriff homer, but ASU scored four in the fourth to take the lead for good.
   
Gonzalez singled in Perdomo for the first run, and Antolin Morales cracked a single over third driving in
Angel Rosa and Gonzalez. Morales scored when Edguardo Salas struck out but the ball got away from the catcher. The Jaguars scored twice in the fourth, but the determined Braves struck for four runs again in the top of the sixth. Rowans two run homer, driving in Gomzalez, was the first big blow, and later Jann Butler of Moss Point smashed a double over third scoring Cole Vicars and Salas.
   
Southern did not give in, scoring three in the sixth, with two coming in on errors. Easter relieved Blaum with one out and two on and retired the side.  SU's McGriff sacrificed in David Nolting in the seventh, but the Braves added one themselves in the eighth when Butler scored on an error by the Jaguar third baseman.
   
The Braves added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth, Rowan tripled in Morales who had singled and Vicars drove Rowan home with a high bouncer over the pitcher's mound. With two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth, Easter got McGriff to line out to second baseman Vicars to end the game and make this team forever a part of Alcorn State baseball history.
  
"I am so proud of the players and my coaching staff:" stated head coach Barrett Rey after the game:"as this was our goal before the season started, to win the SWAC. The guys never gave up, gave it their best, and I could not be  more proud  than I am today. I would also like to thank all of fans who supported us during the season. Now, its on to the NCAA."
   
This was Rey's second season as head coach at Alcorn State, and he has etched his name in the Brave record book forever.
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