GRAMBLING, La. | Richard Ortiz belted his ninth homer of the season, but it wasn't enough to propel the Grambling State University baseball team in an 18-7 loss in seven innings to Texas Southern in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game on Saturday afternoon at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park.
Grambling State (14-14 overall, 7-4 SWAC) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Ortiz crushed a two-run homer to left and Rafael Ramirez scored on a
Garrett Smith single to give GSU a 3-0 advantage.
Texas Southern (10-17, 7-3) trimmed the margin to 3-1 with one run in the top of the second, but Grambling State quickly answered in the bottom of the frame with four runs on four hits to take a 7-1 lead.
Trevin Bolden led off the frame with a single to right and advanced all the way to third on a base hit to right center by
Kristian Franklin.
D'Quan Matthews walked to load the bases and
Marshawn Taylor singled to left center and advanced to second on the play as Bolden and Franklin scored. Ortiz followed with a base hit to left to plate Matthews as Taylor stopped at third. Taylor scored the final run of the inning when Ramirez flied out to deep center for the sacrifice fly.
Texas Southern battled back and sent 16 batters to the plate in the fourth inning and scored 10 runs on seven hits, took advantage of a pair of errors to grab an 11-7 lead.
TSU put the game away with a four-run fifth to take a commanding 15-7 advantage.
Inside The Numbers
* Grambling State plated seven runs on nine hits, committed three errors and left four on base.
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Richard Ortiz went 3-for-3, with three RBIs and one run scored to pace the offense.
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Marshawn Taylor added two hits, scored twice and drove in a pair.
* Rafael Ramirez and
Garrett Smith each had one hit.
* Kerry Boykins Jr. started on the hill for GSU and went 3.2 innings and didn't figure into the decision. He gave up six runs (four earned) on six hits, with two strikeouts and one walk.
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Ryan Evans (2-1) worked 0.1 of an inning and took the loss by surrendering eight runs (three earned) on six hits, with three walks.
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Andy Escano pitched three innings in relief.
* Texas Southern pounded out 16 hits and scored 18 times, committed one error and stranded three on base.
* Gaudencio Lucca led the offense by going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and six RBIs.
* OJ Oloruntimilehin went 3-for-4, with five RBIs and four runs scored.
* Aaron Solis (5-1) pitched a complete game to pick up the win as he gave up seven runs on nine hits, fanned seven and walked three.
Up Next
Grambling State concludes its three-game SWAC series on Easter Sunday against Texas Southern. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park.
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