LORMAN, Miss. –
Rayfield Adams III and
Julian Jarrett each bagged two hits Friday night as Alcorn dropped the opening game of a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball series at home to Bethune-Cookman 11-1 in seven innings at Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi.
Bethune-Cookman (15-7, 4-0 SWAC) exploded for five runs in the sixth inning and added three more in the seventh to pull away from Alcorn in what had been a tightly contested game to that point.
The visiting Wildcats broke on top in the first inning when Darryl Lee reached on a walk and came around to score on a passed ball by Alcorn (5-17, 1-3 SWAC) catcher
Nico Garcia after Andrey Martinez had doubled and Maikol Lucena drew a walk to load the bases.
BCU extended its lead to 2-0 in the second frame when Madison, Mississippi, native Christopher Watson singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by centerfielder Sergio Rivera. A third run crossed in the third inning on an error charged to the Alcorn outfield on a dropped fly ball, allowing Ruben Zuany to reach base and Martinez, who had doubled to lead off the frame, to score, respectfully.
Through five innings, The Wildcats led 3-0, but none of its runs had been earned against Alcorn starting freshman hurler
Devin Kriley.
The Braves opened their scoring account in the home-half of the fifth.
Centerfielder
Rayfield Adams III, who finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base, singled to lead off and swiped second and third on back-to-back stolen base opportunities. With two outs, shortstop
Asher Friedman was hit by a pitch and
Julian Jarrett followed with an RBI single to center to score Adams III and cut the deficit to 3-1.
Jacob Wingard replaced Kriley to open the sixth inning and immediately ran into trouble for the Purple and Gold.
Jorge Rodriguez walked and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a Watson walk. After Jacob Estrada flied out, Watson stole second and then came home when Wingard was called for a balk. Another run scored on a passed ball from Garcia, and the Wildcats lead ballooned to 5-1.
Lee then walked, and after Martinez drew another free pass, BCU shortstop Jeter Polledo doubled to left field to drive in Lee and push the lead to 6-1. Alcorn relief pitcher
Henry Allred entered to relieve Wingard, while Maikol Lucena greeted him with a two-run single to right field, scoring both Polledo and Martinez to make it 8-1.
Wingard was charged with four runs (all earned) on one hit in two-thirds of an inning, while Allred surrendered three more in a third of an inning on the bump for the Braves.
Alcorn's bullpen would find additional trouble in the seventh when Watson reached on a pitcher's error, then stole third while Jacob Estrada drew a walk and also swiped second as well. With the bases loaded, Lee was issued a bases-loaded walk to make it 9-1. Martinez then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, and another run scored on a wild pitch, completing an 11-1 final.
BCU right-hander Harbersting Abreu earned the victory, improving to 2-1 on the season after tossing five innings of one-run ball. Abreu allowed six hits and three walks while striking out five, working efficiently through a Braves lineup that repeatedly threatened but could not push runs across until the fifth inning. Justin Morales came on in relief to close out the final two frames, allowing no hits, walking two and striking out two to preserve the lopsided final.
Alcorn's Kriley absorbed the loss, his fifth of the season against no wins. Kriley had one of his best starts of the season in five innings worked, giving up five hits and four walks while striking out eight, but tossed 95 pitches in his time on the bump.
Watson was a thorn in Alcorn's side all evening, reaching base three times, scoring twice, and stealing three bases. Lee scored twice and walked three times without recording a hit. Martinez also went 2-for-3 at the dish for the visitors.
For the Braves, Adams was a productive 2-for-4 with a run scored and two stolen bases on the offensive. Jarrett was 2-for-3 at the dish with an RBI, while teammate
Jaylyn Bennett went 1-for-4 with a double. Alcorn left 11 men on base and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
The Braves and Wildcats close the series with a Saturday doubleheader back at McGowan Stadium with the first pitch of game one set for 1 p.m.
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