Braves Drop Series Finale to JSU Sunday

LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University Braves held an 8-4 lead through five innings, but could not hold off Jackson State as the Braves (6-17, 1-8 SWAC) dropped the conference series finale 13-8 Sunday at Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium.
 
Wallace Rios Jimenez went 1-for-3 at the plate with a double, an RBI, two runs, and two walks. Justin Barna finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Der'Vincent Hamilton was a perfect 2-for-2 as he brought in a run and scored one. Nicholas Hayes-Saltare brought in a pair with a 2-for-4 effort, and Hunter Wilson also batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
 
Zachary Perez (1-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up seven runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks in 1.2 innings of relief. Starter Bukhari Brown pitched 5.0 innings and allowed four runs on four hits and seven walks. The Byram, Miss. native struck out four of the 26 batters he faced. Razedrick Winters and Regynold Johnson also made appearances.
 
Alcorn got its offense clicking early with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Rios Jimenez drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a fly out to left, Jenkins worked a full count and Wilson followed with a single to right to open the scoring. With runners on the corners, Hamilton singled to right center before the Tigers (17-6, 9-3) turned a double play to get out of the inning.
 
After the visitors responded with a run in the top of the second, the Purple and Gold pushed their advantage to 5-1 with another three runs on four hits in the bottom half of the frame. Edward Jackson hit a one-out single through the left side, Jordan McGowan took a 2-0 pitch through the right side, and Rios Jimenez doubled down the left field line to plate Jackson and put runners in scoring position. JSU brought in a new hurler, and Barna welcomed him with a double down the right field line.
 
JSU answered with three runs in the third to keep the game close. After striking out the leadoff Tiger, Brown walked the next two batters and JSU placed a hit through the left side for the first run in the inning. Another pair of walks loaded the bases and brought in the second run, and a sacrifice fly to straight center plated the third.
 
Alcorn doubled up JSU with three more in the fifth. Barna struck out but reached first on a wild pitch. The Tigers then got the senior out at second as Kyle Jenkins reached on a fielder's choice. A Wilson single through the right side put runners on the corners and JSU brought in another reliever. Hamilton was hit by a pitch to juice the bases and Hayes-Saltare brought in two with a single through the left side. The Hollywood, Fla. product stole second and Hamilton, standing on third, touched home on the throw.
 
The guests again answered with three in the sixth and took over the lead with four in the seventh. Perez got the leadoff hitter to ground out but walked the next Tiger. The next batter hit another grounder at Rios Jimenez, who elected to try and get the lead runner out at second, but Hayes-Saltare bobbled the flip for a fielding error. JSU then pulled a double steal and hit a sac fly to center to knot the game at 8-8. A single to left gave the Tigers their first lead in the game, 9-8. The visitors got another double steal and drew a walk to force Alcorn to bring in Winters. JSU's Wesley Reyes then tripled down the right field line to push the lead to 11-8.
 
JSU added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth. With Alcorn down to its last three outs, Rios Jimenez drew a leadoff walk and Barna singled to left. The Tigers snuffed any hopes of a comeback, though, as they turned a 5-4-3 triple play to end the game.
 
The Braves are on the road to end this next week as they head to Huntsville, Ala. for a three-game conference series Thursday through Saturday at Alabama A&M.
 
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