ATLANTA, Ga. | Jackson State advanced through the winner's bracket with an 11-6 victory over Bethune-Cookman in the 2024 Pepsi Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball Tournament sponsored by Chevrolet on Thursday afternoon.
After falling behind in the second, Jackson State used a four-run third inning that led to a pitching change for the Wildcats using a pair of stolen bases and singles to take a 5-2 lead. Bethune-Cookman did not go away, hitting its second home run of the game in the bottom of the third to trim the deficit to 5-4 before Jackson State sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth inning to pull away 10-4.
Bethune-Cookman was able to cut into the Tigers' lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh before
CJ Lewis worked out of a bases-loaded jam with Jackson State leading 11-6.
Isaiah Williams (6-3) picked up the win in relief, working 3.2 innings and allowing two runs off three hits before giving way to Lewis and
Christian Womble who came on in the ninth and slammed the door with a pair of strikeouts.
Joseph Eichelberger finished 4-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored while
Arjun Huerta finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Sebastian Cabeza finished 2-for-4 with a run and RBI, and
Rodney Hibler Jr. finished 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI to help pace the 15-hit attack.
How It Happened
- (T2) Shemar Harris drove in a run with a fielder's choice to score Eichelberger from third, Jackson State 1-0.
- (B2) Ramses Cordova hit a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left-center to score Jorge Gonzalez Febo, Bethune-Cookman 2-1.
- (T3) Eichelberger singled to right to drive Jordan McCladdie and Myles White before the Tigers pulled off a double steal that allowed Robert Tate Jr. to score. They added to the lead with a single by Huerta to shallow right center to score Eichelberger, Jackson State 5-2.
- (B3) Jose Gonzalez hit a two-run home run to left to trim the deficit, Jackson State 5-4.
- (B5) Hibler delivered a single to left (with two strikes) to score Cabeza from second before adding another run on a Lenny Montesano sacrifice fly to right. They added another run when Eichelberger beat a ball into the ground ball to short to plate a run before Huerta beat out a ground ball to first to drive in another. Cabeza hit a hard ground ball with two out in the inning to score another run and extend the lead to six, Jackson State 10-4.
- (T7) Montesano delivered another RBI with a sacrifice fly to right, Jackson State 11-4.
- (B7) Sergio Rivera ended the Wildcats drought with an RBI single through the left side to score Colton Olasin before a bases-loaded walk to Rodriguez to drive in another run, Jackson State 11-6.
Up Next
Jackson State returns to action at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 24 against the winner of the Texas Southern and Bethune-Cookman played earlier in the day.
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