In a rematch of last season’s Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship game, Grambling State outlasted Jackson State 8-7 in 10 innings in the Cactus Jack HBCU Classic at Daikin Park on Friday afternoon.
GSU faced a 4-0 deficit early but rallied back to grab the win.
Keanu Jacobs-Guishard led Grambling State at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Martavius Thomas and Shannon Martin also logged multi-hit games, registering two hits apiece.
Payton Allen (1-0) earned the win in a relief appearance for GSU. Allen entered the game in the eighth and worked 3.0 innings, surrendering no runs or hits and striking out one.
Randy Reyes returned to the lineup and got the start on the mound for GSU. Reyes went 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He fanned six batters and walked five. Javier Martinez also made an appearance, tossing 2.0 innings and giving up three runs on two hits with three strikeouts.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, JSU’s Jordan McCladdie reached base on a bunt single. After stealing second and moving to third on the ground, he scores Jackson State’s first run of the game on a wild pitch.
JSU added three more runs in the second inning to stretch its lead to 4-0.
Grambling State scored its first run of the season in the fourth inning. Trey Bridges got on base courtesy of an error at first base. Chenar Brown’s single in the left field put Bridges in scoring position. Martin took advantage, ripping an RBI single through the right side of the infield.
PAYTON ALLEN SHUTS THE DOOR!
GRAMBLING WINS!#GramFam | #ThisIsTheG🐯 pic.twitter.com/3qyv157BoV
— Grambling State Baseball (@GramSt_Bsb) February 14, 2025
In the top of the fifth, GSU’s bats continued to wake up. With runners on first and second, a Nyan Hayes RBI double cut the deficit to 4-2 and forced a pitching change. Bridges followed that with a 2-RBI single, tying the contest 4-4.
Jacobs-Guishard gave Grambling State its first lead of the game when hammered a 2-run homer over the left field wall in the sixth inning.
Jackson State scored two runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 6-6. JSU’s Robert Tate had an RBI single in the seventh, giving Jackson State a 7-6 advantage.
With the bases loaded for GSU in the eighth, Thomas was hit by a pitch, allowing the tying run to score.
In the 10th inning, Jacobs Guishard came through with a clutch sacrifice fly to drive in the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the 10th, Chris Marcellus came up with one of the biggest defensive plays of the game, throwing out JSU’s Tate, who tried to advance to third from second on a pitch that was in the dirt. Allen closed the door on Jackson State by forcing a groundout and striking out JSU’s Joseph Eichelberger to preserve the win.
Jackson State reliever Nkosi Didder (0-1) was charged with the loss after allowing one run on one hit. He struck out four and walked three.
Courtesy: Grambling State Athletics
