VALLEY SWEEPS ALABAMA STATE
Itta Bena, MS - (courtesy MVSU Sports Information) The East-division leading Delta Devils swept its weekend series at home against Alabama State.
The MVSU baseball team began its Easter weekend series with a 7-0 victory. Pitcher Scott Reid worked nine innings scattering five hits and striking out 13 batters. Offensively, Willie Mays finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored while Jeff Squier was 2-for-4 with three runs driven in.
The MVSU Delta Devils baseball team picked up a 13-0 victory over Alabama State in the first game Saturday's doubleheader. Jeremy Breaux worked six innings allowing four hits and striking out four. Willie Mays and Chris Herron each went 2-for-3 with three runs scored for the Delta Devils
The Delta Devils completed a series sweep with a 7-3 win. Britt Goodwin worked five innings on the mound for MVSU - striking out four and allowing five hits and two earned runs. Ron James struck out three and walked four as the pitcher of record for Alabama State.Willie Mays and Sean Bard each scored a run while going 2-for-4 for the Delta Devils. One of Bard's hits was a two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth inning.
UAPB WINS SERIES OVER PRAIRIE VIEW
Prairie View, TX - (courtesy PVAM Sports Information) Arkansas-Pine Bluff won two of three games over Prairie View in a key western division series.
In game one, a two-run fifth inning by UAPB was all they needed in a 2-1 victory over the Panthers.
Prairie View A&M took an early 1-0 lead after two innings of action via back-to-back doubles by George McDonald and Jason Thomas. The lead was short-lived after the top of the fifth as UAPB moved ahead for the first time with a two-run frame for a 2-1 advantage. Despite losing the lead, Prairie View had its chances to tie the contest towards the end of the game as the Panthers had runners on third in both the sixth and seventh innings with two outs. However, the runners remained stranded as the Panthers flied out to right in the sixth and struck out swinging in the final frame.
Brandon Kendricks (3-4) was tagged with the loss for Prairie View as the senior from Desoto, Texas struck out seven and allowed four hits. McDonald was Prairie View's top player at the plate as he scored the team's lone run and added one hit. Jerome McCollum drove in two RBIs for UAPB while Justin Moring (6-2) earned the win on the mound.
UAPB broke open a tight game by scoring three runs over the final two innings of action en route to a 5-2 win in the second contest.
The Golden Lions recorded four hits in the top of the third to claim a 2-0 lead. An RBI by Kendricks in the bottom of the fourth closed Prairie View to within 2-1 but UAPB took advantage of two fielding errors by Prairie View in the sixth and seventh frames to cross home three more runs for the final margin.
UAPB's Kyle Jones (2-2) struck out seven for his second win of the year while Prairie View's Mark Almaguer (4-2) recorded eight strikeouts in the losing effort. Offensively, Kendricks led Prairie View at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance while McCollum and Sean Prater both had a pair of hits for Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
In game three, Prairie View A&M pitcher Ben Blackburn struck out eight in a complete game effort coupled by big offensive performances from John Villapondo and Brandon Whitby in a 5-3 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers took a 2-0 lead after the first inning via RBIs from Odie Davis and Oscar Reed. UAPB crossed home a run in the top of the third but Prairie View answered in the bottom half with two more runs on Brandon Whitby's RBI double and Reed's second RBI of the afternoon for a 4-1 advantage. Whitby once again remained a thorn in UAPB's side as the senior catcher from Phoenix recorded his second hit and RBI of the game to up Prairie View's margin to 5-1 in the fourth.
The Golden Lions wouldn't go away as they scored twice in the fifth stanza to draw within two runs at 5-3. However, Blackburn buckled down from that point as the sophomore hurler from Houston cooled off UAPB's bats for his second win of the year.
The duo of Villapondo and Whitby feasted on UAPB pitching with three hits apiece while Whitby also had two RBIs along with Reed. Blackburn (2-0) went the distance as he struck out eight and walked three. UAPB's Vince Newton (1-2) earned the loss as he lasted only 2.1 innings while Rashad Billingsley, Jerome McCollum and Hinton Huckabee paced UAPB with two hits each.
JACKSON STATE, SOUTHERN SPLIT TWO GAME SERIES
The Tigers and Jaguars split a pair of games in a non-conference matchup, with each team winning on their home field.
Jackson State won at home on Saturday 4-1. Marquise Zachery picked up the win for Jackson State. He pitched nine innings, for a complete game. He gave up only one run on three hits and struck out eight batters. James Spear suffered the loss for Southern. In six innings of work he gave up four runs on nine hits.
Fred Atkins led JSU's offensive efforts, as he recorded three hits and one home run. Chad Hall finished with two hits, a run and an RBI. Toddrick Stevenson led the Jags with two hits and a run.
JSU put the first run on the scoreboard in the first inning, when Atkins homered to left field. Southern tied the game at 1-1 with a score in the third. JSU added two runs in the fourth and another insurance run in the fifth inning when Marvin McWhorter hit a home run.
On Sunday, Southern scored 12 unanswered runs to take a 12-2 win. After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning Southern scored at least one run in six of their final seven at bats. A four-run third inning and three-run fourth broke the game open for Southern.
Frazier Hall and Juan Mujica each had three hits for the Jagaurs and Victor Franklin hit his conference-leading 10th home run of the season. Brian Foster pitched a complete game for Southern, allowing nine hits but just two runs, walking none and striking out three.
LaDerek Camper and Jamaal Thelwell each had two hits for Jackson State.
GRAMBLING WINS TWO OF THREE IN HOUSTON
HOUSTON --- (courtesy GSU Sports Information) Grambling traveled to Texas and its weekend series at Texas Southern.
On Saturday, Grambling split the double header. Texas Southern held off a last inning rally by GSU to stake a 6-3, win in game one. Grambling played the role of comeback spoiler in game two thwarting a late surge by TSU for a, 6-5, victory.
In game one GSU fell behind, 5-1, after the first two innings. Texas Southern jumped out early, 1-0, in the first inning and then took advantage of several miscues in the Grambling infield to tack on four more runs three of which came with two outs.
Grambling added a run in both the fifth and seventh inning but ran out of fuel leaving two stranded on base to end the game.
GSU spread three hits out among three batters. On the mound Jamal Breaux (0-1) suffered the loss in a complete game pitching effort.
Texas Southern Ray Hernandez went two-for-two with two runs scored. Charles Derkowski received the win going six innings giving up only three earned runs on three hits.
In game two, Grambling's left fielder O.J. Simmons two-out wall climbing theft of TSU's Joe Bryant's would be game tying home run sealed the victory for the Tigers breaking a 10-game losing streak.
The two teams both scored in the first inning. But it was right fielder Alvin Simmons solo home run to right field in the second that put Grambling up for good. GSU received run support in the fifth inning when they took advantage of a struggling TSU pitcher, David Arrendondo, and tagged him for four more runs.
Grambling was led by Manny Kumar and Steve Kletke who both notched two hits in four at bats. Kumar added a run and RBI, while Kleteke had two RBI's. O.J. Simmons went one-for-three at the plate scoring two runs. On the mound Adrian Turner recorded six strikeouts in a complete game victory.
For TSU Earnest Rhone went two-for-three at the plate scoring two runs with two RBI's. Arrendondo sufferered the loss in six innings giving up six runs on eight hits.
In the rubber game, Grambling received a three run homerun from Mike Roby in the top of the first inning to set the tone as Grambling closed with a 9-3, victory over the hosting Tigers.
On the mound GSU's Manny Kumar opened the game with three shutout innings before TSU's DeShawn Dilworth led off the fourth with a solo shot over left center field. Grambling held on to a 3-1 lead into the sixth inning when Roby went deep again this time to centerfield scoring Milt Barney who had led off the inning with a single.
Texas Southern responded in their half of the inning picking up a run. But Grambling would get the run back in the top of the seventh when Chris Wolfe led off the inning with a single, advanced from first to third on a bunt by Anthony Clifton and scored on a wild pitch.
Down but not out TSU's David Arendondo scored in the bottom of the seventh inning on a Wilmey Marrero Sacrifice fly to left field.
Grambling would once again punish TSU starter Ehren Moreno in the eighth inning for three runs to seal the victory.
At the plate Roby accounted for five of Grambling's nine runs going 2-for-5 with five RBI's and two runs scored. Brandon Smith went 2-for-5 with a run scored; while Wolfe went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Kumar pitched nine innings for the win with nine strikeouts.
For TSU Earnest Rhone, Adam Sellers and Dilworth each recorded two hits. On the mound Moereno suffered the loss giving up five earned runs in seven innings.
ALCORN WINS SERIES OVER BULLDOGS
Alcorn State, MS - The Braves won two of three games over the visiting Bulldogs.
Alcorn swept Friday's doubleheader winning 10-5 and 9-4. In game one, a five-run fourth and three-run fifth for the Braves broken open a 2-2 tie. Edgar Alvarez went 4-for-4 and Joel Del Grande drove in four runs for Alcorn State.
Fabian Harper went 3-for-3 for Alabama A&M.
In game two, Alcorn answered two Bulldogs runs in the top of the first with seven of its own in gaining the twin-bill sweep. Adrian Bowen went 4-for-4 with 2 RBIs and Jabar Graham drove in three runs for Alcorn State. D Lopez had three hits for Alabama A&M.
Behind a 20-hit attack, the Bulldogs won the rubber game of the series 17-11. Alton Ellison drove in six runs and Kency Duarte and Hayes had four hits apiece for Alabama A&M. Bowen had four hits and four RBI for Alcorn State.
