Head Shuts Out Bulldogs, Khalil Smith With 5 RBIs In Rubber Match Win

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –  The Alcorn State University baseball program used the momentum from last night's unbelievable comeback to rout AAMU and win the series, 12-0 in seven innings. 

The Braves (5-5, 5-4 SWAC) nearly doubled up the Bulldogs in hits (11-5), played a clean game in the field (0 errors) and gave freshman Kobe Head his second victory in Purple and Gold.

Head was practically unhittable on the hill for Coach Richardson, tossing a complete game (7.0 IP) masterpiece as he fanned five and walked one to keep Alabama A&M off the scoreboard entirely.

All 11 runs came off the bats of either Khalil Smith, Tristin Garcia or Hunter Wilson, led by Smith with a season-high five followed by Garcia and Wilson's three each.

Smith had himself the best game of his brief Alcorn career, driving in more RBIs on Sunday (5) than he had in the previous nine games combined (4) including two runs scored, a double and a walk during a 3-for-4 effort.

Garcia capped off an impressive weekend with three ribbies, two hits and a run scored. For the weekend, the Louisville native went 7-of-14 (.500) to go along with five runs driven in, scoring thrice on the basepaths and a free pass.

Wilson only had one hit but it was a doozy, delivering a two-run blast in the fourth to bring his RBI total to three after his fielder's choice brought home Smith in the opening frame.

Jamaal Green logged his second multi-hit performance in three appearances this season, capturing two singles in four at-bats and scoring once.

Tyler Smith, Garrett Palladino and Jamil Betancourt all touched home twice on the day with the latter two stealing second.

Alabama A&M (1-7, 1-2 SWAC) could only muster five hits and one walk after averaging 11.5 runs in the first two games of the series.

Pierre Brewton had the Maroon's only extra-base hit of the afternoon, a double in the fifth.

Trevor Berkemeyer was the lone Bulldog to have multiple hits in a 2-for-3 outing.

The Braves rattled Alabama A&M starter Peyton Baker early, roughing him up for three runs in the first two frames.

The top of the fourth was when the men from Lorman broke the ballgame wide open as Khalil Smith roped a two-RBI double to center, Garcia outhustled a grounder to second base on a fielder's choice and Hunter Wilson promptly brought him trotting home with a deep fly to right to make it 8-0 and essentially ice the contest.

Just for good measure, the Baseball Braves put four more on the board in the seventh on a passed ball, a two-run double by Khalil Smith and a RBI single from Garcia to put the final score at 12-0.

Alcorn baseball will return to campus before heading right back to the "Heart of Dixie" next weekend for a weekend rumble with the Alabama State Hornets.
 
NOTES

- The win was the 100th in the all-time series against the Bulldogs, going 100-43 during program history.

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