Baseball Falters in Series Finale at UAPB

PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Keaten Hawk drove in a pair of runs and Rayfield Adams III tallied a pair of hits Sunday afternoon, but it was not enough as Alcorn fell 14-2 in the final game of a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball series away to Arkansas-Pine Bluff inside Torii Hunter Baseball Complex in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
 
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (13-7, 7-2 SWAC) rode the strength of Zach Wieder, who has a big offensive day for the host Golden Lions.
 
Wieder was the engine of a UAPB offense that sent 40 batters to the plate. He singled, doubled, and tripled across his five trips to the dish, driving in runs in the second, fourth, and fifth innings. Blake Coleman added fuel with a two-run home run in the fifth – the big blow in a four-run frame that effectively put the game out of reach, and finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
 
Ryland Morin (2-1) earned the win on the mound, holding Alcorn to just two runs (one earned) on four hits over six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one, retiring the side in order in the third and fifth. Joe King closed out the seventh with two strikeouts to finish off the seven-inning contest.
 
Alcorn (7-22, 1-8 SWAC) actually struck first, putting up a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on the strength of some aggressive baserunning. Kanious Davis reached on a shortstop error, then stole second. Rayfield Adams III drew a walk and promptly stole second as well, with Davis swiping third simultaneously. That set the stage for Keatan Hawk, who singled up the middle to score both runners and give the Braves a 2-0 lead.
 
The early advantage did not hold, as UAPB answered with two of their own in the bottom of the first, aided by a pair of passed balls, and never trailed again.
 
Despite the lopsided final, there were encouraging signs for the Braves.
 
Adams was a bright spot offensively, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases. Davis also contributed on the bases with two steals of his own in the first inning, and Hawk's clutch two-RBI single demonstrated a knack for coming through with runners on base.
 
The Braves' pitching struggled against the Golden Lions' bats, with starter Yoni Castro (0-3) lasting only 1.2 innings after issuing three walks and being touched for four runs. Hayden Konkler absorbed the heaviest workload in relief, throwing three innings but surrendering eight runs on nine hits, including Coleman's home run.
 
The offensive nucleus of Adams, Davis, and Hawk gives the Braves a foundation to build on, and the first-inning rally Sunday showed the team's ability to manufacture runs when opportunities arise.
 
The Braves are back in action Thursday, April 2, welcoming in-state SWAC opponent Mississippi Valley State to Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi, for a three-game set starting at 6 p.m.
 
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