JACKSON, Miss. –  The Alcorn State University baseball program saw
Tristin Garcia become the 49th member of the 100-hit club with a two-hit performance in a game two loss to the Tigers, 6-4.
The Braves (6-11, 6-9 SWAC) got multiple hits from Garcia plus a base knock and a stolen base out of
Garrett Palladino but failed to record an extra-base hit with three runs coming by way of JSU errors.
Jarius Colley was the offensive star for Coach Richardson, going 2-for-3 with a walk and the club's one RBI.
Kyle Jenkins was the other Brave to reach base more than once, tallying a hit and a hit-by-pitch to bring his career base hit total to 99.
Jose Fernandez was dealt a tough luck loss, pitching well enough to win with six superb innings while allowing just two earned runs (three unearned) and two free passes.
Raylan Wagner came on for a solid relief appearance, contributing two innings to finish out the ballgame with one run given up.
Jackson State (23-7, 17-0 SWAC) registered 11 hits, four walks and four RBis to go along with two doubles by Ty Hill and Wesley Reyes.
The Blue Bengals had a relatively balanced approach at the plate as eight of the nine starters got a base hit.
Mario Lopez pitched a gem, twirling 5.2 innings of two-run ball (zero earned) with three whiffs, no walks and five hits surrendered.
Jackson State got on the board first in the second and third, pushing one across in each to go up 2-0.
Alcorn would respond with an RBI seeing-eye single through the infield via Colley to cut the gap to 2-1 in the fourth.
The Tigers opened things up a little with three unanswered runs to make it 5-1 before the visitors from "The Reservation" went on a 3-0 run in return to make it a one-run contest heading into the seventh inning stretch (5-4).
The Blue and White would score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the same frame to get the margin at 6-4.
The Baseball Braves had a chance to tie it in the end after Garcia pushed a single through the right side to record his historic 100th hit with two down in the ninth.
Kyle Jenkins came to the plate as the equalizer with an opportunity to etch his name into the record books with what would have been his 100th as well but he went down swinging to end the afternoon, 6-4 in favor of JSU.
JSU improved its record to 166-101-1 against the men from Lorman.
The Purple and Gold will look to salvage the series finale Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch on the docket.
#FearTheBrave
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