Cooper Harris Hot in Jackson

JACKSON, Miss. – Alcorn first baseman Cooper Harris delivered a perfect 5-for-5 performance offensively Friday evening as Alcorn dropped a 13-8 contest away to Jackson State in a non-conference matchup at Braddy Field in Jackson, Mississippi. The game was part of the JSU Tournament with three days of baseball action hosted by Jackson State.
 
Trailing 13-4 entering the ninth inning, Alcorn (1-8) tried to rally for a second consecutive game versus its in-state foe from the capital city.
 
Shortstop Asher Friedman singled through the left side, followed immediately at the top of the order by a Rayfield Adams III single opposite to right, setting the stage for third baseman Kanious Davis to walk and load the bases on Jackson State pitcher Kevin De Los Santos. But not before the Tigers made a pitching change with Talmadge Davis taking over on the bump.
 
Cooper Harris, a junior from Gainesville, Virginia, immediately greeted Davis by smacking a three-run double to the wall in right, clearing the bases and bringing the Braves within 13-7. Keaten Hawk's RBI ground out plated Harris to make it 13-8.
 
With Jackson State (6-4) leading 1-0 after the opening frame, the homestanding Tigers added five in the third to widen its margin.
 
With the bases full and one away, Payton Boines laced a two-run double down the line in left to score Pierre Cabral and Tyree Reed, advancing the Tigers lead at 3-0. A Tyshon Patty double on the ensuing at-bat made it 5-0 when crossing Boines and Hederick Torres.
 
Alcorn would chip away with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
 
The Braves opened their account by scoring in the top of the fourth with Hawk reaching on an error charged to the Tigers infield, thus allowing Harris to score from third after he lined a double down the left field line to lead off the inning.
 
Alcorn made it 6-3 in the next frame using a Davis RBI ground out to bring in Friedman before Harris registered his first home run of the season – and the first for the Braves altogether, with a solo shot to deep left.
 
However, JSU would respond with four runs in the home-half of the inning, adding three additional insurance runs across the sixth and seventh, respectively.
 
JSU starter Kade Walker grabbed the win to up his record at 2-1 on the year. He worked four innings, allowing two runs on three hits, three walks and four strikeouts. Manuel Toro pitched the fifth with a run allowed. Meanwhile, the loss went to Alcorn starter Jacob Wingard, dropping his record to 0-2 for the year, as he pitched 2.1 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits, five walks and delivering four strikeouts.
 
The JSU bats were led by Robert Tate Jr. with a 3-for-5 evening, scoring two runs in the process.
 
For the Purple and Golf, it was Harris with a 5-for-5 outing, scoring four runs and recording four RBIs. Hawk was 2-for-5 with three RBIs. And it was Adams at the top of the lineup going 2-for-5 with a run scored.
 
Alcorn returns for day two of the JSU Tournament versus UNC Asheville on Saturday, Feb. 28, at noon, back at Braddy Field in Jackson, Mississippi.
 
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