Diamond Hornets clobber A & M’s Bulldogs 17-2
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (bamastatesports.com) – The Alabama State baseball team remained undefeated in SWAC play with a dominant 17-2 win at Alabama A&M in seven innings at Bulldog Field.
Off to their best conference start in school history at 10-0, the Hornets also pounded out 17 hits, eight of them for extra bases with a season-high four home runs. Yamil Pagan (fourth), Dillon Cooper (third), Joseph Estrada (first) and Ray Hernandez (fifth) each went deep as Alabama State (17-12) scored 10 or more runs for the fifth time in league play.
Pagan, who drove in a career-high five runs, was one of three Hornets with three hits, as Hernandez tied a career high and Hunter Phillips set a career high as the Hornets had their second-highest run total and second-highest hit total of the season.
“We were very patient at the plate, and didn’t try to do too much,” Alabama State head coach Mervyl Melendez said. “Our approach at the plate was the key for our success.”
Joseph Camacho improved to 5-0 on the season, going six innings, allowing three hits, two runs, walking two and striking out five. He allowed just one hit and two base runners after the first inning.
“He felt a little uncomfortable at the start of the game,” Melendez said of Camacho, who improved to 31-4 in his career as he won his last 26 decisions with five no-decisions in the past 31 starts. “He settled in after the first and pitched a very good game.”
After trailing 2-0 after one inning, the ASU bats got going, scoring the 17 runs in five of the final six innings. Eric White walked with the bases loaded to force home a run, and with one out Pagan was hit by a pitch to score a run to tie the game. Diandre Amion’s two-run single to right field put the Hornets ahead to stay, 4-2.
In the third with one out, Hernandez singled and Phillips walked. White then singled to center, scoring Hernandez. With two outs, Pagan launched a three-run homer to left to give the Hornets an 8-2 lead.
In the fourth with one out, Cooper walked and Chris Biocic was hit by a pitch. Hernandez’ double to left cleared the bases for a 10-2 lead. After Hernandez advanced to third, he scored on Phillips’ sacrifice fly as part of the five-run inning for a 13-2 ASU lead.
Cooper and Hernandez each hit solo homers in the fifth as the Hornets extended to a 15-2 lead. In the seventh, Estrada homered and White’s RBI single completed the scoring.
Game two of the series is Saturday at 2 p.m., with the final game Sunday at 1 p.m.
