Southern (La.) Sweeps Series from Braves

LORMAN, Miss. – Asher Friedman pounded out three hits for Alcorn on Sunday afternoon as the Braves fell to Southern University 14-5 in the series finale between the two Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opponents at Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
Southern (18-20, 11-6 SWAC) erupted for five runs in the fifth inning and six more in the ninth to complete the series sweep.
 
The Jaguars trailed 4-2 heading into the fifth before turning the game with an offensive barrage against Alcorn starter Kayden Sutton.
 
A walk to Kameron Byrd, a hit-by-pitch to Jacoby Radcliffe and a sacrifice fly by Kenyon Hughes tied the game at 4-4. That allowed left fielder Omari Johnson to put Southern ahead for good with a two-run double to center field that made it 7-4.
 
Johnson finished 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and two RBIs over the course of the afternoon.
 
Also, for the visiting Jaguars, Byrd went 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a two-run double in the ninth that capped the scoring. Hughes was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a triple of his own.
 
Radcliffe was a spark throughout, scoring four times while swiping two bases. Ryan Hunter reached base five times and scored twice from the leadoff spot.
 
Alcorn (8-32, 2-16 SWAC) jumped in front with a four-run third inning.
 
Shortstop Asher Friedman delivered a dagger, a two-RBI single to right that put Alcorn ahead 4-2. Friedman finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the Purple and Gold on the day. Braves catcher Adrian Vallescorbo also drove in two runs for the Braves, who were hampered by five errors on the defensive side of the game.
 
Sutton absorbed the loss, falling to 1-7 after surrendering six runs (five earned) on three hits over 4⅓ innings. He walked five and struck out three.
 
Braves Relievers Hayden Konkler and Garrett Oswald combined to allow eight runs on seven hits the rest of the way.
 
Meanwhile, the Southern pitching staff held Alcorn to zero earned runs in the game, as the Jaguars committed three errors themselves in the contest.
 
Southern starter Quincy Thornton worked three innings without factoring into the decision, allowing four unearned runs before giving way to Caden Brown, who earned the win to improve to 2-0 on the campaign. Genesis Prosper closed it out with 3⅓ innings of one-run relief, striking out seven, to earn his first save.
 
The Jaguars piled on in the ninth against Oswald and a defense that committed two of its five errors in the final frame, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six times to put the game out of reach.
 
Alcorn is back in action Wednesday, April 22, traveling to Southeastern Louisiana for a nonconference game beginning at 6 p.m.
 
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