Tigers Take Control To Beat Braves In Game One

LORMAN, Miss. –  The Alcorn State University baseball program got five runs in the first two innings but went cold as Jackson State prevailed with a 13-6 series-opening win.

Junior Kyle Jenkins drove in a pair of RBIs with a double in the first inning to up his team-high total to 34 on the season and producing his ninth multiple-RBI game, also tops on the Braves.

Freshman Tristin Garcia accumulated his team-leading 18th multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Junior Brandon Rembert had a multi-hit night of his own, going 2-for-5 as well with both an RBI and a run scored.

Senior Brendly Martina was the third and final Alcorn batter to log multiple hits with one of them being his first career triple. He subsequently scored when junior Jordan McGowan knocked him in.

Senior Kirt Cormier improved his on-base streak to 13 games with a single while coming around to score once he reached.

The Alcorn Braves got the ball rolling early in the first as Rembert and Cormier reached on consecutive singles before Jenkins smashed a two-run double down the left field line to give the Braves a 2-0 first inning lead.

Jackson State would provide a rebuttal in the top of the second as the Tigers plated five runs including a rare inside-the-park homer by speedster Equon Smith to claim the lead at 5-2. The home nine quickly answered back in the bottom half as Martina opened the frame with a triple and was driven in by McGowan's RBI-groundout.

Rembert provided an RBI-single and Garcia would score on a ball-four wild pitch to even things up at five apiece after two. JSU staked a one-run lead in the top of the third (6-5, JSU) and then the pitchers went to work. Senior starting pitcher Bukhari Brown and reliever Mario Lopez proceeded to shut down the bats, as Alcorn was shut out over their next three at-bats and Jackson State over its next two.

The blue and gray visitors added seven insurance runs onto its advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth with a 13-5 cushion. Alcorn would bring home one in the ninth but that's where the scoring would end as the Jackson State Tigers took care of business in game one by a final of 13-6.

Bukhari Brown (3-6) got saddled with the loss as he allowed eight runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings and struck out four Tigers.

Alcorn baseball will play game two of the three game series on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. from Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium.  

Quoting Alcorn head coach Bretton Richardson
 

Opening Statement

"We didn't make enough plays overall to win the game. They capitalized on our mistakes and that's why they came out on top tonight."
 

On Bukhari Brown's Outing

"He had one bad inning in the second when they scored five runs, we misplayed a couple balls in the outfield that led to the five runs but overall he gave us the opportunity to win but we didn't make enough plays to be successful tonight."
 

On Edward Jackson Getting Some Playing Time

"Playing musical chairs at third bases, been doing that all season. Just trying to put somebody out there and hopefully be able to make a play or two for us."
 

On Travaris Cole's Return From Injury

"It's going to be a slow process for him, hopefully by the time we get to the SWAC Tournament, he will be swinging the bat like he was early on for us."
 

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