The Alabama State offense continued its hot streak on Friday to clinch the three-game series against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff baseball team.
Alabama State took a 9-4 win over UAPB in the second of three games at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex in Montgomery, Ala. After Alabama State (14-15, 5-6 SWAC) won 14-10 on Thursday, the Hornets continued their offensive onslaught on Friday with 14 hits, including four for extra bases.
Entering Friday, UAPB starting pitcher Kenney Fabian (1-3) had allowed six combined earned runs in three SWAC games. He had not allowed more than fjive runs in any one game, nor more than four earned runs.
ASU plated eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits against the reigning first-team All-SWAC pitcher. Shortstop Breydon Divine and center fielder Niguel Jenkins hit back-to-back home runs off Fabian in the third inning, and second baseman Alex Espaillat chased him with no outs in the fifth after a bases-clearing double made it 8-1.
Espaillat’s three-RBI hit was part of a four-run inning for Alabama State which saw UAPB (14-19, 7-4) starting catcher Owen Gietzen and relief pitcher Nate Lee both exit the game with possible injuries. Third baseman Zach Wieder moved to the mound and collected back-to-back strikeouts to end the frame.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Wieder and fellow infielder-turned-pitcher Ian Smith combined to hold the Hornets to one run over the final 3 2/3 innings. Each struck out three batters after Fabian and Lee combined for one.
The first five hitters in the Alabama State lineup each had two or more hits and finished a combined 11 for 22 with eight runs batted in.
Alabama State left-handed pitcher Jorhan LaBoy (4-4) typically starts the opening game of a series for the Hornets, but he was saved for Friday rather than using him on Thursday. He was stellar, holding UAPB to one run on seven hits with six strikeouts and no walks over seven innings.
The lone run LaBoy allowed came on a leadoff home run by UAPB center fielder Zyon Hamilton in the third, Hamilton’s first of the season.
UAPB, which scored 10 runs in Thursday’s loss, had more success once LaBoy exited the game, though it came too late. Joe Adams hit a two-RBI single in the eighth before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Smith to cut it to 9-4 entering the ninth inning.
The Golden Lions got two runners into scoring position in the final inning, but they became the eighth and ninth UAPB runners left on base as the game ended. Alabama State stranded 10.
The series finale is scheduled for noon Saturday.