HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –
Cooper Harris and
Gavin Caston each registered home runs Friday afternoon as Alcorn Baseball dropped a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series opener away to Alabama A&M by a 10-3 decision at Bulldog Field in Huntsville, Alabama.
Alcorn (2-15, 0-1 SWAC) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after
Rayfield Adams III led off with a double, only to come home two plays later off the end of a
Cooper Harris home run to left – his second round-tripper of the season.
Alabama A&M (6-13, 1-0 SWAC) would respond for five runs in the fourth against Alcorn starter
Jacob Wingard.
Colin Mason delivered the key blow of the inning, a two-run double that scored Zak Rice and Tervell Johnson to put the Bulldogs ahead, 3-2. Miles Jackson followed with a two-run double of his own, plating Mason and Brycen Hammonds to extend the lead to 5-2.
AAMU tacked on two more runs in the fifth, highlighted by a run-scoring double from Johnson and a sacrifice fly by Mason, pushing the margin to 7-2.
The Bulldogs would score an insurance run in the home-half of the seventh on another Mason RBI double and two more in the eighth on a Johnson double and a Chris Walker single, respectively.
AAMU's Mason finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs, while Jackson went 3-for-5 with two RBIs of his own for the Bulldogs offense. Johnson went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and scored three times as well. Tarris Murray reached base five times, drawing two walks and scoring three runs.
Anthony Mateo (1-0) earned the win despite entering the game 0-4 on the season, working seven innings on the bump and allowing two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. Nick Espinola closed it out with two innings tossed, allowing one run on two hits.
Alcorn's Wingard (2-2) took the loss after being hit for four runs on two hits in 3.1 innings on the hill, also collecting two strikeouts.
The Braves offense was sparked by Harris who finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and
Gavin Caston added a solo home run in the ninth as a pinch hitter – his first home run of the campaign for the Purple and Gold.
Jaylyn Bennett added a 2-for-4 day at the dish.
The two sides meet for game two of the three-game series back at Bulldog Field on Saturday, March 14, at 1 p.m.
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