Bulldog Baseball Sweeps Alcorn 18-14 and 9-2

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NORMAL – It was a hit fest on the reservation as Alabama A&M defeated the Braves of Alcorn State 18-14 in game one and 9-2 in game two, Saturday afternoon in Mississippi. Both teams combined for 38 hits in the first game.

In the second inning of game one, A&M got on the scoreboard first when Ramon Nelson tripled and then scored on a pass ball. Next batter, Jordan Friend, singled to right field and was brought home on a Julio Nunez's RBI single.

A&M's Austin Hulsey homered deep to left field extending the Bulldogs lead 3-1 in the top third. A&M continued to add runs in the top half of the fourth when Friend led off the inning with a homer. Nunez added another RBI with a double, which brought in Brandon Crutcher.

Alcorn State's fourth inning stanza saw them belt out seven runs, on six hits. One of those hits was a grand slam to reclaim a one run lead in the inning.

Both teams managed to score a run in the fifth inning; however A&M went back on top scoring three runs in the sixth. Nunez doubled, then stole third, and scored on an error by the Braves catcher. Nelson then singled scoring Dodson, and Utterback.

Alcorn went back to back in homeruns in the bottom of the seventh to regain the lead once again.

A&M responded with five runs in the top of the eighth inning, as Hulsey, was hit by pitch to start off and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Next Utterback, who walked, then advanced to second along with Hulsey advancing to third on an error by the pitcher. Nelson, reached on an error by the third baseman scoring Hulsey. Dustin Dhanani along with Friend and Nunez each batted in an RBI for that inning.

Hulsey and Friend led A&M's 20-hit attack by going 4 for 5 and 4 for 6 respectively with three RBI's while A&M tallied three homeruns in the game with 15 total runs batted in.

Taylor Knight earned the win in 1.2 innings pitched. He allowed four hits, four runs and two walks with two strikeouts.

In game two A&M continued the hit parade collecting 14. Every player that went to the batter's box posted a hit in the game. Nunez finished with three runs; Utterback totaled two hits and two runs while Friend ended the day with a hit and a pair of runs.

Devin Smith earned his third win of the year in seven innings of work with seven strikeouts.

The 20 hits is a season high for Alabama A&M while the 20 and 14 hits are the Maroon & White's 13^th and 14^th contests with double hits.

This is the first time that AAMU has swept Alcorn, winning four out of five games this season.

For the first time in over 10 years the Bulldogs are in second place in the Eastern division and have qualified for the Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball tournament in May.

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