Braves Fall to 2-2 With Loss At SELU

HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana jumped ahead with three runs in the second inning and two in third en route to a 7-1 win over the Alcorn State University baseball program Tuesday night at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Edward Jackson brought in Alcorn's lone run in the top of the eighth, doubling down the left-field line to bring in senior Devin Walden from third. The freshman from Greenville, Miss. was pinch-hitting for senior A.J. Makarewicz. Senior Justin Barna finished 1-for-2, and Kyle Jenkins and Der'Vincent Hamilton both hit 1-for-3.
 
Senior Jahborus Smith took the loss as he gave up five earned runs on six hits and a walk. He pitched 4.0 innings and fanned five SELU batters for a 7.50 ERA. Brandon Thomas gave up two earned runs on a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of relief, and Devon Key threw the remaining 2.2 innings. The junior from Tampa, Fla. had one punch out with one hit and a base on balls.
 
"I love the way the guys kept fighting tonight," said head coach Bretton Richardson. "We came up short tonight, but if we continue to fight like this all season, we should be ok."
 
The Lions (3-1) broke open the score on junior Mike Taylor's solo shot to left. Smith walked the next batter and the SELU base runner moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After another walk and a double steal, Smith hit the ensuing batter to load the bases. A single to right scored another and kept the bases juiced, and the Lions made it 3-0 on a fielder's choice.
 
In the third, Taylor doubled with one down and crossed the plate on a Kyle Schimpf single to right. Schimpf moved to second on a throwing error and then scored on a Bryce Steckler triple to center. The hosts would add insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
 
The Braves had an opportunity in the top of the fourth as Hamilton led off with a double to left center. He moved to third as Wilson flew out to right, but back-to-back strikeouts stranded him.
 
Walden worked a 3-2 count to start the eighth with a walk. He then stole second and advanced to third on a Wallace Rios Jimenez ground out to first, setting up the Braves' lone scoring play.
 
With the loss, the Braves move to 2-2 on the season. The teams will meet again in Hammond for another 6 p.m. game on April 3.
 
Alcorn will head to Tallahassee, Fla. for a four-game series with Florida A&M this weekend, starting with a 1 p.m. game on Friday at the Moore-Kittles Baseball Complex. The teams will play a noon doubleheader on Saturday and wrap up with a noon contest on Sunday.
 
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