Game Notes | Live Stats
LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University baseball program returns home this weekend as the team hosts Alabama State in a three-game conference series, starting with a 6 p.m. contest Friday night at Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium. The teams will play a 3 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. finale on Sunday.
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Moriah Batiest, who was elected the 92nd Miss Alcorn last week, will throw out the first pitch on Friday. Saturday's game will be a Purple Out for the Braves (8-19, 3-9 SWAC).
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"The focus has been on playing consistent baseball," said head coach Bretton Richardson. "Hitting, pitching, and playing defense. If we do well in three phases, we should have a good weekend. As far as pitching, if our guys can continue to throw pitches in the strike zone, we'll have a chance to win the series."
Alcorn and Southeastern Louisiana met for the second time of the season Tuesday night, with the Braves falling 9-1 in the non-conference game. Brendly Martina led Alcorn offensively as the shortstop hit 1-for-2 with a homerun, an RBI, a run, and a walk. Jordan McGowan finished 2-for-4 at the plate and Edward Jackson had the team's other hit in his lone appearance as a pinch hitter.
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Entering this weekend, Nicholas Hayes-Saltare has a team-best .324 batting average. Hunter Wilson follows at .293 and Justin Barna is hitting .292. Wilson leads the Braves with 27 hits and 23 RBIs. Kyle Jenkins has hit eight doubles and a pair of homeruns to lead Alcorn in extra-base hits. In the field, Jenkins has recorded 139 putouts with 14 assists and four errors for a .975 fielding percentage. Wilson adds 105 putouts with eight assists and two errors (.983).
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Ace Carlos Lopez (2-1) earned his second win of the season after holding Alabama A&M to four runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk through 5.0 innings in a 15-4 win last Friday. The Barranquitas, Puerto Rico product owns a 4.89 ERA across 35.0 innings and six starts. Jahborus Smith (2-5) has thrown 32.2 innings in seven starts and eight appearances with a 6.61 ERA. Bukhari Brown (1-4) helped Alcorn clinch the series at AAMU and picked up his first win of the year as he held the Bulldogs to four runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks with one strikeout in 8.0 innings of work. The Byram, Miss. native owns a 9.51 ERA and has made seven starts and eight appearances.
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The Hornets (14-13, 8-4) took 2-of-3 league games at Mississippi Valley State last weekend before falling to Samford 15-6 Tuesday.
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Four ASU batters are hitting above .300: Ray Hernandez at .354, Joseph Estrada at .343, Noel Cheneau .316, and Hunter Phillips .303. Estrada and Hernandez have 35 and 34 hits, respectively. Hernandez leads the Hornets with seven homers and 24 RBIs. Defensively, Hunter Allen has 207 putouts with 29 assists and six errors (.975).
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ASU's bullpen is led by Dalton Wilder (1-3) with a 1.86 ERA, Darren Kelly (2-0) at 1.96, and Darrius Wright (4-1) at 2.29.
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The teams met at the beginning of March to open conference play. ASU, which hosted the series, took all three games.
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