THIBODAUX, La. – The Alcorn State University baseball team fell behind early and was unable to recover as Nicholls defeated the Braves 25-5 on Tuesday night at Ray E. Didier Field.
Sophomore Edward Jackson drove in two RBIs for Alcorn (1-3)Â with his hot shot past the pitcher. Junior Brandon Rembert went 1-for-2 with a hit and a walk while coming across to score two runs. Junior Travaris Cole, freshman Jaden Smith, sophomore Jamey Fabre and senior Kirt Cormier were the other Braves to notch hits, with senior Brandon Barna adding a run scored.
Cormier was able to force a free pass with two outs in the first inning to give the Braves its first baserunner but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Nicholls (3-1)Â came out of the blocks on fire as it plated six runs in the first inning thanks in part to a grand slam.
Barna got the second started by reaching on an error by the third baseman, while Rembert got Alcorn into the hit column with a hard-hit single to center. Barna and Rembert would advance to second and third respectively after an errant throw by the Colonels center fielder. Jackson would make the home team pay for its mistakes, roping a two-RBI single up the middle to cut the deficit to 6-2. Jackson would swipe second one batter later to move into scoring position but would be stranded.
Nicholls continued its torrid start to the ballgame as it drove across seven more runs in the bottom of the frame to establish a 13-2 advantage.
Redshirt junior Abdallah Salman calmly erased the scarlet and gray for a scoreless third inning inducing two flyouts and a weakly hit grounder to short. The Colonels pushed across two runs in the bottom half of the fourth as it extended its lead to 15-2. Salman would rebound nicely in the fifth, stranding two baserunners to notch another clean inning of work.
The home nine used two walks and a hit by pitch to scratch across three runs in the sixth as the Colonels widened the gap to 18-2. Rembert opened the top of the seventh reaching safely thanks to another Colonel miscue, advancing to second on a wild throw. Jaden Smith would then single to put Braves on the corners for redshirt junior Trey Covert. Covert's speed induced an overthrow by the pitcher as Alcorn pushed in its third run of the night. Two batters later, Cormier would force another Colonel error as Covert and Jaden Smith tallied runs four and five for the purple and gold.
Nicholls would go on to tally seven more runs over the final two innings of play.
Redshirt sophomore Jacob Kieffer (0-1) took the loss giving up 13 runs on eight hits and four walks in 1.2 innings. Salman came in from the pen to toss 3.1 innings of two-run ball, while Joe Smith and Orrion Bailey closed out the final three frames.
Alcorn baseball will hit the road once again this weekend as it will take on fellow HBCU Florida A&M in a four-game weekend series in Tallahassee. Friday's game will begin at 5 p.m., Saturday's doubleheader will start at 1 p.m., and the two teams will close things out on Sunday with first pitch coming at 11 a.m.
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