Box Score Pine Bluff, Ark. – It was all business for the Grambling State Tigers as they owned the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lions and walked away with a 7-1 victory Friday (April 1). With the win, GSU snatched a two game conference led over UAPB in the first of three games that have the Tigers and Golden Lions cat fighting for first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division.
Pitcher
Issac O'Bear commanded the Golden Lions batters, finishing with career best 10 strikeouts, and one earned run as he controlled UAPB (6-18, 6-4 SWAC) through nine innings at Torii Hunter Complex.
"O'Bear was pitching a gem on the mound," said GSU coach
James Cooper. "Hats off to him with the complete game and 10 strikeouts. It was big."
GSU (11-14, 8-2 SWAC) bats bounced back strong from a four hit performance Tuesday with nine hits and six RBI's. Second baseman
Larry Barraza went 3-for-4, two RBI's and he was the most efficient batter, hitting a triple, a double and a single.
Grambling State seized the moment early in the first inning when third baseman
Daniel Barnett singled. Roberto Colon was charged the error. Barraza had a RBI triple, drilling a pitch to center field and Barnett scored. Barnett hit a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing home
Wesley Drain. GSU led 2-0 after three innings.
Cooper said his team definitely seized the moment.
"I believe we did, especially with the big time at bats with two outs or runners in scoring position," he said after the first of a three-game weekend series. "We were able to drive them in. We had a handful of extra base hits. We had a few guys to score from first base. So that's big… We were able to get those with runner on first and get them all way around to score."
UAPB's only run crossed home in the fourth inning when Aderly Perez had a RBI single, bringing in Jordan Knox for the score. Knox singled to first and he advanced to second due to a O'Bear bulk.
Grambling State proved why they are the No. 1 team in the SWAC West when, in the sixth inning, GSU pulled away. Diaymn Hall hit a RBI triple, crushing a pitch in between center field and right field, allowing
Johan Mojica to score. A few batters later, centerfielder
Angel Peguero hit a line drive down the first base line, and
Wesley Drain scored. GSU led 5-1.
