Alcorn Clinches Berth to SWAC Championships Despite Loss at AAMU

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – With the help of another score from the SWAC East Division, the Alcorn State University baseball program locked up a spot at the 2017 SWAC Championships even though it dropped a 12-1 result to Alabama A&M in seven innings Saturday at Bulldog Field.
 
Alcorn (10-28, 6-14 SWAC) entered the day needing a win or a Mississippi Valley State (6-31, 5-18 SWAC) loss to secure a SWAC bid. The Delta Devils fell 10-5 at Alabama State. The Braves are now four games ahead of MVSU in the loss column with four games to play, and hold the tiebreaker after winning the season-series 4-2.
 
Alcorn's run on Saturday came in the sixth inning. It came on a pitch-hit single by junior Devin Walden. The knock scored junior Wilbert Malphus from second after he came in to pitch-run for senior Kirt Cormier who led-off the frame with a single through the left side.
 
AAMU (11-36, 8-12 SWAC) scored runs in each of the first five innings to jump in front 12-0. All nine Bulldog starters recorded at least one hit.
 
Senior Regynold Johnson started for Alcorn and allowed four earned runs in 4.0 innings. Sophomore Joe Smith threw the final 2.0 frames and struck out three batters and allowed just one earned run.
 
Junior Wallace Rios Jimenez did not play in the contest, but kept his 34-game on-base streak intact. He's expected to start Sunday.
 
The Braves and the Bulldogs will close out the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
#FearTheBrave