Braves Split Conference Doubleheader at MVSU Saturday

ITTA BENA, Miss. – After bad weather in the area kept the Alcorn State University baseball program and Mississippi Valley State from playing on Friday, the teams split their conference doubleheader Saturday at Magnolia Field.
 
The Delta Devils (2-15, 2-3 SWAC) won the first game of the day in extra innings as the hosts put runners on first and second in the 10th courtesy of a single to left center and a hit by pitch. The next MVSU batter hit towards Brendly Martina, who could not field the ball cleanly. The ball slipped past the junior into center field and the error allowed MVSU to cross the plate for a 6-5 final.
 
Martina led the Braves (6-11, 1-4) in the loss as he hit 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. Kyle Jenkins also hit 1-for-3 with a walk and a run. Justin Barna, Der'Vincent Hamilton, Hunter Wilson, and Devin Walden all finished 1-for-4. Razedrick Winters (0-1) was handed the loss after allowing three runs, two of them earned, on four hits and a pair of walks. The senior faced 20 batters in 13 at bats, striking out three Delta Devils in 3.2 innings of relief.
 
After MVSU took an early 1-0 lead, the Braves knotted the score with a run in the third. Walden led off with a single up the middle, stole second, and moved to third on a Wallace Rios Jimenez ground out. The senior outfielder then touched home as J. Barna grounded out to third.
 
Alcorn added two more runs in the fourth to go ahead 3-1, but MVSU answered with two in the sixth before retaking the lead 5-3 with a pair in the seventh. The Braves didn't want to go away, though, and tied the game for the third time in the eighth. J. Barna drew a four-pitch walk and Hamilton reached on an error before Wilson singled down the right field line. Jenkins grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, but it was enough for Hamilton to cross the plate.
 
The Braves got their bats going in game two. Alcorn opened the scoring in the second with two runs on three hits and a pair of errors. With runners on the corners, A.J. Makarewicz hit a ball deep enough to left to allow Martina to tag up. Later, Rios Jimenez singled to right and tried to stretch for third as the right fielder couldn't field the ball cleanly, but was beat by a throw from MVSU's catcher. The play did allow Walden to score from first, however.
 
Alcorn added a run in the third as Wilson stroked a solo shot over the right field fence. The home team finally posted a run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Braves pulled away with a big seven-run fifth. The team recorded seven hits and the Delta Devils committed four errors as the Purple and Gold put the game out of reach. MVSU scored their second run the sixth, but it was too little too late.
 
Jahborus Smith (2-2) pitched 6.0 innings in the win. He gave up two runs on three hits and as many walks with nine punch outs. The senior fanned all three MVSU batters in the fifth. Joe Smith pitched the seventh, allowing one hit before Alcorn turned a 6-4-3 double play to secure its first conference win of the season.
 
Wilson batted 3-for-4 with a homer, and RBI, and two runs. Rios Jimenez also hit 3-for-4 with an RBI. Martina and Walden both finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
 
The teams will close out the series Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
 
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