BATON ROUGE, LA – Barry McDonaley’s pinch-hit single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over Alcorn State in Game 1 of the 2009 SWAC Baseball Tournament.
Donley’s two-out game-winning hit scored Lloyd Burchett, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. The Golden Lions (21-23) rallied from a 5-0 deficit after 3 ½ innings to advance to Thursday’s 3 p.m. game where they will face the Mississippi Valley State-Texas Southern winner.
Alcorn State (25-18) jumped out to its early lead with single runs in the first and second innings and a three-run fourth. The Braves were also aided by seven UAPB errors. The Braves scored a single run in each of the first two innings. Adrian Bowens’ RBI single scored Josh Brumfield. In the second, Brumfield laced an RBI single to center scoring David Reed, who reached on a two-out error.
Alcorn State added three runs in the fourth on just two hits, taking
advantage of four UAPB errors, to extend to a 5-0 lead. The Golden Lions escaped further damage in the inning, getting the final out with the bases loaded.
UAPB got its first run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Hinton Huckabee, scoring Matthew Pace who doubled. The Golden Lions cut the deficit to 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth on a
bases-clearing double by Pace. UAPB tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Pace, who went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI.
Justin Moring (9-2), the 2009 SWAC Pitcher of the Year, went the distance for UAPB, allowing eight hits and five runs (three earned) with two walks and five strikeouts.
Collins Arnold (4-6) of Alcorn State took the loss in relief. Brumfield
went 3-for-4 for the Braves with 2 RBI. Alcorn State will play the
Mississippi Valley State-Texas Southern loser at 9 a.m. Thursday.
