HOUSTON – The Jackson State University Tigers broke a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning to register a 7-6 victory over Grambling State University here on Sunday at Minute Maid Park on the final day of the Astros Cactus Jack HBCU Classic.
 
JSU's win saw the Tigers improve to 2-1 on the season as Grambling dropped to 1-2.
 
After allowing a GSU run in the top of the first inning, lead-off batter Jordan McCladdie singled to reach base for the Tigers in the bottom of the inning and then advanced on a stolen base, followed by a throwing error to reach third. He scored off a Joseph Eichelberger single to tie the score at 1-all.
 
Grambling then took a 3-1 lead after scoring a pair of runs in the top of the third inning, but that was short-lived after the Tigers responded with four hits and three runs in the bottom of the next inning.
 
Eichelberger started the fourth-inning comeback after reaching base on a single and advancing to second on a single by Lenny Montesano. Sebastian Cabeza then bunted, and thanks to a throwing error, Eichelberger scored while Montesano advanced to third, making the score 3-2 GSU.
 
Montesano scored when Edward Gregory singled down the first base line, tying the score at 3-3, a tie which was broken when Cabeza scored off a Ledy Alvarez single, giving the Tigers a 4-3 lead.
 
Jackson State added two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and went into the final inning with a 6-3 advantage.
 
In the top of the ninth, Grambling scored three runs to tie the ballgame at 6-6 before Montesano belted a double to left field. Pinch-runner Darrell Pender then scored the game-winner off a Cabeza double down the right field line, giving the Tigers their 7-6 victory.
 
Closer CJ Lewis (1-0) picked up the win for the Tigers, who will host Tougaloo on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. at Braddy Field. Eichelberger led JSU batters, going 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Montesano went 2-for-4 with one run scored, while Cabeza was 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.