AUBURN – The Alabama State baseball team erupted in the late innings to beat Auburn 9-3 Wednesday at Plainsman Park.
Richard Amion, Emmanuel Marrero, and Brandon Castro each had two hits, and Einar Muniz scored three runs for the Hornets (4-1), who have beaten South Alabama and Auburn in back-to-back games on the road.
“These wins are good for our confidence,” said Alabama State Head Coach Mervyl Melendez said of his team which has now won four straight games. “Any win is good, and when you play a tough opponent, and we did yesterday in South Alabama and we played Auburn tonight, and when you’re able to play at their home and you’re able to come out with a victory, you have to feel good about yourself.”
Fresh off big wins at South Alabama & at Auburn, @ASUBaseball_ is Cali bound to take on U of Pacific! #gohornets pic.twitter.com/v9K8XgMuvq
— Alabama State Sports (@ASUBUZZ) February 20, 2014
After a scoreless first five innings, the Hornets scored in the sixth inning. Loading the bases with none out, Cesar Rivera laid down an RBI bunt single past the pitcher’s mound, scoring Muniz. With one out, Marrero’s bunt single to right field scored Amion for a 2-0 lead. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Castro’s RBI walk scored Richard Gonzalez for a 3-0 Hornet lead.
Auburn scored a run in the sixth before Alabama State answered in the seventh. A hustling Rivera beat out a would-be double play at first base, allowing Amion to score to extend the Hornets’ lead to 4-1.
The Tigers (2-2) scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 4-3 before Alabama State put the game away with a five-run eighth inning.
Marrero led off with a triple, and scored on a one-out single by Castro. Dexter Price then doubled to left center, scoring Castro. After Muniz reached on a throwing error, Amion’s two-run single scored Price and Muniz. Rivera then reached on a throwing error, scoring Amion for the final margin, beating for the first time in eight matchups.
A total of six Hornet pitchers combined to limit Auburn to just five hits in the game.
“I thought we played pretty well, and pretty good defense,” Melendez said of his team which did not commit an error. “The performance offensively was good. We utilized a number of pitchers to keep everyone fresh for this weekend. We got out of jams, which is important in baseball. The opponent is usually going to make a run, and we did a pretty good job holding them to three runs tonight.”
Courtesy: Alabama State Sports Information
