NEW ORLEANS – The Alcorn State University baseball program had runners in scoring position twice in the last three innings but Prairie View A&M was able to get out of it both times to hang on for a 4-3 decision Friday at the 2017 SWAC Championships at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
Freshman
Anthony Acosta pitched 7.0 innings of relief and shined with 10 strikeouts. He allowed just one run after junior
Jahborus Smith was pulled after giving up three runs in 2.0 frames.
Alcorn (12-33, 7-17 SWAC), the No. 4 seed from the East Division, trailed 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh when it put runners on second and third with one out. Jordan Johnson entered in relief for PVAMU (20-36, 11-13 SWAC) and forced a strikeout and a fly out to escape the threat.
The Braves had one last chance in the bottom of the ninth as they again put runners on second and third with one out. Nic Campos came in for the Panthers and was able to get a strikeout and a ground out to third to end the game.
All three of Alcorn's runs came in the sixth inning. Senior
Jason Sanez, an All-Conference Second-Team honoree, knocked a one out double to right-center and scored on a single by senior
Justin Barna. With two outs, senior
Patrick McMahon blasted a homer to right field to cut the deficit to 4-3. It marked McMahon's team-high fifth homer of the year as he ended his career on a five-game hitting-streak.
With a single through the right side in the seventh inning, junior
Wallace Rios Jimenez reached base safely in every game this season. Rios, an All-Conference First-Team selection, will carry a 41-game on-base streak into next season which includes the season finale from last year. Rios concluded 2017 with a .315 batting average and a .451 on-base percentage, both were team-bests.
Also finishing above .300, sophomore
Brandon Barna submitted a .314 average and a team-high 14 multi-hit games. He went one-for-four on the day.
Justin Barna, who has one more year of eligibility remaining, turned in a two-for-two day at the plate with two walks, an RBI and a run scored.
PVAMU, the No. 3 seed from the West Division, was led by Cody Den Beste who recorded three hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Charles Philpott picked up the win after allowing three runs in 6.1 frames. Campos was credited the save.
Quoting Alcorn head coach Bretton Richardson
Opening Statement
"We had our chances. Take your hats off to the PVAMU guys – they battled and got ahead of us in the early innings. For whatever reason we came out a little bit flat. Though, we fought to get back in the ball game but just couldn't get the timely hit when we needed it."
On Anthony Acosta
"He came in and picked us up, it was a shot in the arm. He held the deficit to what it was and gave us an opportunity to win in the end. That's what we needed, but unfortunately we just came up a little short."
On his thoughts of the conference tournament
"We played three great ball games but we just came up short in two of them. That's what happens in conference play sometimes and unfortunately there has to be a winner and a loser."
On moving forward
"We'll just continue to build on and get some more pieces. Hopefully we'll come back next year and make a run at this thing."
#FearTheBrave
