HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –  The Alcorn State University baseball program entered the final frame trailing by four (11-7) and ended the inning with a miraculous 16-14 victory thanks to nine unanswered runs.
The Braves (4-5, 4-4 SWAC) only scored in two innings, the third and ninth, but put a lucky number seven on the scoreboard in the third along with the aforementioned ninth.
Coach Richardson's crew got on-base a staggering 24 times via 12 hits, eight walks and four hit-by-pitches.
Seven of the team's starting nine tallied at least one hit and eight players had one or more RBIs.
Khalil Smith,
Tristin Garcia,
Hunter Wilson,
Tyler Daniels and
Garrett Palladino all drove in two runs apiece while Smith, Garcia and Jenkins all reached base safely three times.
Daniels had two hits on the afternoon with both going for doubles while
Brandon Rembert contributed a double as well.
Freshman
Xerian Ximines made his first career collegiate start, sitting down five Bulldogs in 5.1 innings and allowing five hits.
Devin Puckett earned the victory in part due to five of the seven outs he recorded coming via strikeout over 2.1 frames of work.
Alabama A&M (1-6, 1-1 SWAC) drew 11 walks and put up a crooked number in the sixth, matching the runs scored with the inning the production came in.
Alcorn might have chased AAMU starter Michael Hovermill after two-and-two-thirds but Josue Torres did an impeccable job in relief with 5.1 nearly spotless frames, surrendering just one unearned run with four Ks.
Two Bulldog batters went yard as Terry Bridges sent a two-run dinger to dead-center while Trevor Berkemeyer went yard with a solo shot two hitters later.
Berkemeyer smacked a double to go along with his bases empty tater plus the duo of Janmikell Bastardo and RJ Farrell each legged out triples.
The ballgame could not have started off any better for the Baseball Braves, dropping a seven-spot on the home squad in the third to go up big, seven to nothing.
Alabama A&M made a trio of small dents in the bottom half of the third and fourth but Alcorn still held a relatively comfortable advantage at 7-4 heading into the sixth.
The game script was flipped on its head in the sixth as the maroon and white posted six runs in the frame and tacked on another two following the seventh inning stretch to reel off 11 unanswered scores to seemingly assure victory at 11-7 with every ounce of momentum on their side.
The roller coaster ride was just getting started as Alcorn brought out the boom sticks when its backs were against the wall, posting nine in the ninth including four with two outs to take a five-run lead into the final three outs as the Bulldog faithful sat in stunned silence.
Two home runs by Bridges and Berkemeyer gave AAMU a pulse in the bottom half, bringing the tying run to the plate with two down but
Tyler Smith (who played left field for the first eight frames) induced a weak pop-up to from Malik Frails to take game two and set up the rubber match Sunday. Â
Bretton Richardson's guys will attempt to win the series Sunday at 1 p.m. inside Bulldog Field.
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NOTES
- Alcorn improved to 99-43 in series history opposite of Alabama A&M.
#FearTheBrave
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