ITTA BENA, Miss. – Jackson State University baseball used a season-high four home runs to power its way to a 19-4 win in seven innings over Mississippi Valley State Thursday afternoon.

Jaelen Williams hit a pair of home runs, while El'Rico Riley and Omar Gomez each homered in the season-high 25-hit attack for Jackson State (27-25 overall, 14-14 SWAC), which scored in each of the first six innings.

A total of eight Tiger starters had at least two hits, with a trio of JSU players each with four hits. Williams, who hit a three-run homer (second inning) and solo homer (fifth inning), also had a run-scoring single in driving in five runs and scoring three times.

Jatavis Melton had a pair of doubles among his four hits with three runs scored and three RBI. Devontae Rhodes also doubled twice among his four hits, scoring twice, and driving in a run.

Gomez' solo homer came in the third inning as he drove in two runs on the day, while Riley's two-run homer in the sixth highlighted a three-hit day in which he scored three times and also drove in two.

Leading 3-2 after one inning, Williams' first blast was the big blow in a five-run second inning that broke the game open and gave JSU an 8-1 lead. Ahead 9-3 after three innings, Melton and Rhodes had RBI hits in a three-run fourth that gave the Tigers a 12-3 advantage.

Nikelle Galatas (6-2), won his fourth consecutive start, allowing eight hits and three earned runs, walking two and striking out eight.

Game two of the series is Friday at 1 p.m. in Itta Bena, with game three Saturday in Biloxi at MGM Park at 1 p.m. in the Gulf Coast Diamond Classic.

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