Courtesy of Curtis Ford, Grambling State Athletics
GRAMBLING, La. | The Grambling State University baseball team earned two Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victories in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, defeating Alcorn State 20-3 and 7-6 at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park.
Game 1
Grambling State (8-14 overall, 4-1 SWAC) dominated Alcorn State (1-17, 0-5) from start to finish in the opening contest. The Tigers torched the Braves’ pitching staff for 20 runs on 13 hits. GSU also exercised patience at the plate, drawing 13 walks.
Grambling State jumped in front quickly, exploding for eight runs on five hits in the bottom of the second to craft an 8-0 lead.
After the Braves scored two runs in the top of the third, GSU plated 10 runs in the bottom of the frame. The Tigers smacked three home runs, highlighted by a grand slam from Terry Burrell III to open up an insurmountable 18-2 advantage.
In the fifth inning, Trey Ware blasted his first home run of the year with a two-run shot over the centerfield wall to make it 20-3.
Lorenzo Petersen (1-2) earned his first victory of the year, tossing 5.0 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk. He also struck out four batters.
Tiger Borom was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with home run and three RBI. Trevor Hatton went 2-for-2 with three-run home run.
Game 2
In the nightcap, Grambling State got off to another hot start, plating three runs in the top of the first. Trevor Hatton highlighted the inning with a two-run homer to left field, his second of the afternoon.
With the Tigers holding a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Keylon Mackstroked a two-RBI double off the base of the right field wall. Mack drove in two more runs in sixth inning with a two RBI single to make it 7-2.
Alcorn State cut into GSU’s lead on a two-RBI single from Garrett Palladino in the seventh. Following a leadoff double, a walk and a groundout to begin the top of the ninth, the braves pulled within a run, 7-6, on two-RBI single by Jaylon Lucky. Reliever Ethan Bates got the second out of the inning by picking off Lucky at first base. A fly out to centerfield ended the game and preserved victory for GSU.
Mack led the G-Men in the second game, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and a double.
Conor Rudy (3-3) earned the victory, striking out five in 6.2 innings of work. He allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks.
Up Next
Grambling State looks to secure a weekend sweep of Alcorn State when the seres continues on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
