LORMAN, Miss. – Three different Alcorn players tallied a multi-hit performance Thursday evening as the Braves dropped a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series opening game at home to Alabama State by a 15-11 scoreline at Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
Alabama State came to McGowan Stadium and left with a 15-11 win, but it took all nine innings and a whole lot of Alcorn giving the Hornets everything they could handle.
 
Alcorn (9-40, 3-23 SWAC) spotted Alabama State a 2-0 lead heading into the home-half of the first frame, then turned the third inning into a nightmare for Hornets pitching after knotting things up at 2-all.
 
The Braves sent 12 men to the plate in the bottom of the third, pushing across seven runs – six of them unearned – to take a 9-5 lead that had McGowan Stadium, which saw several in town for "Senior Appreciation Day" set for later in the weekend, buzzing.
 
Third baseman Kanious Davis set the table early with an RBI double and later singled home another run. Adrian Vallescorbo, the Braves designated hitter on the night, drove in two with a single to left, and when the chaos of Alabama State errors finally settled, Alcorn was sitting comfortably in front.
 
However, it didn't hold for the Purple and Gold.
 
Alabama State (28-21, 18-10 SWAC) clawed back with three runs in the sixth, knotting the game at nine on a two-RBI single from Jackson Williams, who finished the night going 4-for-4 with six RBIs and two doubles. The Hornets first baseman was substituted for a knee injury in the top of the ninth, as he was sliding into third.
 
The Hornets then broke it open with four more in the seventh, with Williams delivering again – a two-RBI double to center that pushed Alabama State ahead for good at 13-9.
 
The homestanding Braves made one last push in the eighth.
 
With the Hornets up 14-9, sophomore right fielder Keatan Hawk singled to center and advanced on a catcher's error with the relay from centerfield popping out of his glove and back to the wall, plating two runs and pulling Alcorn to within three at 14-11. But Camden Matthews came on in relief and shut the door the rest of the way, earning his fifth save of the season.
 
Trey Power earned the win for Alabama State, working five strong innings in relief after starter James Peterson labored through 2.2 frames. Power allowed just two earned runs and struck out a game-high five.
 
For Alcorn, the bullpen couldn't keep the Braves in it.
 
Jacob Wingard walked three and hit a batter in just a third of an inning before giving way to José Cherena, who gave up seven runs (five earned) in 5.1 innings of solid relief until laboring late-on. Hayden Konkler took the loss, surrendering four runs in a single inning of work, as he entered for Yoni Castro who had to exit after seven pitches due to injury.
 
Davis finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two walks, serving as one of three in the Alcorn lineup with two hits in the contest. Jaylyn Bennett added two hits and two RBIs, and Vallescorbo went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs as well.
 
The series continues with game two Friday, May 15, at 2 p.m. CDT.
 
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