NATCHITOCHES, La. – The Alcorn State baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader at Northwestern State Saturday afternoon. The Braves fell 20-3 in game one and 19-1 in game two at Brown-Stroud Field.
Alcorn State scored runs in the second and fourth innings in the 20-3 loss. After ending the first frame behind 1-0, Ryan Sonnier scored on a single by Jamil Betancourt to tie the game.
Northwestern answered with runs in the bottom of the second and a run in the third for a 5-1 lead. The Braves chop the lead to 5-3 as Diego Lopez-Molina hit a two-run homer.
The Demons closed out the contest with a six-run fourth, a seven-run fifth, and a two-run sixth to take the first game of the day.
Alcorn scored three runs on four hits with three errors. Betancourt led the effort, going 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI. Lopez-Molina led the team with two RBIs, and Sonnier had two runs.
Andrew Meadows took the loss on the mound. He pitched 3.1 innings for three hits against, 11 runs (10 earned), nine walks, and four strikeouts. Brandon Dunn, Payton Baylis, and Ryan Poston also had turns on the mound.
Northwestern scored 20 runs with just five hits. Several Demons had single hits, while Gray Rowlett and Cam Sibley had four RBIs, and Duante Stuart had three. Cameron Parikh scored the most runs with four.
Cal Carver got his first pitching win, occupying the mound for five innings with four hits against, three earned runs, one walk, and 11 strikeouts.
The Braves scored their only run of game one in the final inning of the second game. In the top of the seventh inning, Alcorn found themselves with two outs and no runners on base. The tide quickly changed. Jack Butler reached first on balls then advanced to second on a single by Jamil Betancourt to left field. A passed ball would put the two runners on second and third. Another walk put Garrett Palladino on first and loaded the bases. After a pitch hit Payton Baylis, Bulter came home to score a run for the Braves.
Alcorn had just one run with six hits and five errors. Betancourt recorded three at-bats for two hits leading the Braves at the plate, and Green, Ryan Sonnier, Lopez-Molina, and Butler had one hit.
Devin Puckett (0-2) was credited with his second season loss on the mound. The Wayne, Mich., native pitched the first inning for two hits against, no walks, one strikeout, and one earned run. Four other pitchers threw doing the contest. Austin Guzman pitched two innings, Jamaal Green held the mound for one, Diego Lopez-Molina appeared in the fifth, and Palladino closed the game.
The Braves return to action for the third and final game of the series on Sunday, March 13. The first pitch is at 1 p.m.
For the latest on Alcorn State baseball, check AlcornSports.com for the latest news and scheduling information, or follow the Braves through Twitter (@BravesSports), Facebook (Alcorn State Sports), and Instagram (@AlcornSports).
