MADISON, Ala. – No. 3E Alabama A&M (9-19, 9-13 SWAC) held their own for six innings in a tie ball game before dropping an 8-1 decision to No. 2W Grambling (16-25, 12-9 SWAC) in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament and NCAA Division I baseball game on Wednesday, May 19.
The Tigers would allow a runner to second with two outs in the top of the first before Cameron Bufford belted a solo shot in the home half of the inning for a 1-0 lead. The teams would then post back-to-back 1-2-3 innings before A&M threatened in the top of the third.
In that frame junior second baseman
Peyton Baker (Acworth, Ga.) led off with a walk before sophomore shortstop
Trevor Berkemeyer (North Las Vegas, Nev.) roped a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out. Freshman third baseman
Jalen Ford (Birmingham, Ala.) then lofted a sacrifice fly to left field that saw Baker score on a dropped ball at the plate. A strikeout would then lock in that 1-1 tie and it would stay that way until the bottom of the sixth.
GSU took advantage of a hit by pitch to start that inning and sacrificed the runner to second before a single to center by Caleb Clines saw them retake the lead at 2-1. Clines would be thrown out trying to stretch it into a double before the Bulldogs cut off any further damage with a strikeout.
Alabama A&M would go quietly in the top of the seventh but it would be the opposite for the Tigers in the bottom of the inning as they notched four hits and drove in three runs to extend to a 5-1 advantage. They would add to that the following inning with three more runs on another four hits, including another Bufford homer, to reach what would be the final margin of 8-1.
Berkemeyer led the way for the Bulldogs with a 2-for-4 day at the plate while Ford delivered the lone RBI with his sac fly. Baker would score the run and add a walk to round out the offense and junior pitcher
Jose Figueroa (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) went six innings, allowing just four hits and a pair of runs while striking out eight. He would suffer the loss to fall to 4-4 on the year.
Bufford would have a day for Grambling with a pair of homeruns and three RBIs as part of a 4-for-4 effort that would see him cross home plate three times. Joseph Gunn went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Kelyon Mack, Jeremy Almaguer and Clines would each add an RBI apiece. On the mound, Jason Alvarez went eight innings, striking out 10 with just one walk and five hits allowed to move to 4-4.
A&M will now face the loser of No. 1E Jackson State and No. 4W Texas Southern in an elimination game on Thursday, May 20. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m. at Toyota Field.
