NEW ORLEANS, La. | The Grambling State University baseball team opened its season on Friday and suffered a heartbreaking 8-7 loss in 10 innings to rival Southern in non-conference action to begin play in the Andre Dawson Classic.
 
Grambling State (0-1) struck for a pair of runs in the third as Richard Ortiz singled to center to plate Marshawn Taylor and Nick Wheeler. Southern (1-0) answered in the bottom of the frame, but the Tigers quickly responded with two runs in the fourth when Taylor plated Chris Perez and D'Quan Matthews singled to center to score Ace Felder.
 
The Jaguars fell behind, 6-2, after the Tigers added two more runs in the sixth when Trevin Boldin plated Taylor on a sacrifice fly to right and Matthews scored when Ortiz was out at second trying to steal.
 
Southern exploded for five runs in the bottom of sixth to grab a 7-6 lead.
 
Grambling State entered the ninth trailing, 7-6, but picked up a run without a hit in the frame to tie the game at 7.
 
Rafael Ramirez III was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and was lifted for pinch runner, Phil Adams, Jr. Chris Perez moved Adams over a base on a sacrifice bunt. After a wild pitch moved Adams at third, Felder drew a walk to put runners on the corners with one out. After a stolen base by Felder, Wheeler walked to load the bases. Taylor flied out to right as Adams scored from third to tie the game at 7. With runners in scoring position, Matthews struck out to end the scoring threat.
 
The Jaguars picked up the win when Ashanti Wheatley belted a homer to left for the walk-off victory.
 
Inside the Numbers
· Grambling State finished with four hits.
· Marshawn Taylor went 0-for-3 at the plate, but walked twice and scored twice.
· D'Quan Matthews went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
· Richard Ortiz registered one hits and drove in a pair.
· Despite having just four hits, Grambling State had plenty of base runners with 13 walks.
· Ashanti Wheatley went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI.
· Zavier Moore was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
· Javeyan Williams paced the Southern offense with three RBIs and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
· Raul Baduel started for the Tigers and surrendered four runs on five hits, with four walks and one strikeout.
· Ryan Evans, Andy Escano and Daniel Beizer pitched in relief.
· Daniel Beizer (0-1) took the loss as he pitched 0.1 innings and gave up the solo homer to Wheatley.
· Jacob Snyder pitched four innings and gave up four runs on four hits with four walks and one strikeout for Southern.
· John Guienze, Eduardo Velez-Cintro, Brandon Sykes and Whilhelm Allen worked in relief.
· Whilhelm Allen (1-0) picked up the win by giving up one run, walking four and striking out four in 4.0 innings of action.
 
News & Notes
· Grambling State's Marshawn Taylor came into the game as the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Preseason Player of the Year.
· The Tigers lost snapped a two-game season-opener win streak. have won their last two (three) season openers.
· Grambling State has won five out of its last seven meetings with Southern.
 
Up Next
Grambling State returns to action with a 6:30 p.m. game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the Andre Dawson Classic at Maestri Stadium.
 
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