GRAMBLING, LA – Alcorn State baseball couldn't hold on to an early lead as Grambling State used a pair of big innings to pull away for a 15-4 victory on Saturday afternoon at Wilbert Ellis Field. The Braves (6-30, 1-17 SWAC) tallied 10 hits and scored four early runs but were held scoreless over the final five innings, while Grambling (18-19, 13-5 SWAC) plated 14 unanswered runs to sweep the weekend series.
Jaylon Burrell provided the early spark for Alcorn, blasting a three-run homer in the first inning—his first of the season. Bernard Martin stayed hot at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the second and scoring a run.
Nathan Gamez added two hits and a run scored, while Reyfield Adams and
Kanious Davis also contributed hits and runs in the opening frames.
Pitcher Mason Dews started the game but was pulled after giving up six runs in the second inning.
Luke Sanders took the loss in relief, surrendering nine runs (seven earned) over four innings of work.
GAME RECAP
First Two Innings – Alcorn 4, Grambling 6
- Alcorn jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first. After singles from Gamez and Banks, Burrell launched a three-run home run over the left field fence.
- The Braves added a fourth run in the second when Davis singled and later scored on a two-out RBI single from Martin.
- Grambling responded immediately with a five-run bottom of the second, tying the game at 4-4 on four straight hits. A two-out RBI double gave the Tigers their first lead at 6-4.
Middle Innings – Grambling 9, Alcorn 4
- A pair of Alcorn rallies in the third and fifth came up empty despite singles from Martin and Gamez.
- In the fourth, two unearned runs extended Grambling's lead to 8-4, and a sac fly in the fifth made it a five-run game.
Sixth Inning – Grambling 15, Alcorn 4
- Grambling exploded for six runs in the sixth, fueled by a solo home run from Aries Gardner and a three-run blast by Chenar Brown.
- The Tigers added a double, a walk, and a sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 11, initiating the run rule.
- Alcorn's offense was silenced in the top of the seventh, closing out the game in seven innings.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 3-for-4 – Bernard Martin collected three hits, including an RBI single and a run scored.
- 3 RBIs – Jaylon Burrell drove in three runs with his first home run of the season in the first inning.
- 10 – Alcorn finished with 10 hits, including three in the first inning.
- 4 – All of Alcorn's runs came in the first two innings before Grambling took over.
- 2 – The Braves committed two errors, leading to a pair of unearned runs for the Tigers.
UP NEXT
Alcorn State (6-30, 1-17 SWAC) returns home to take on Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday, April 22. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST.
