ATLANTA, Ga. | The Grambling State University baseball team fell to Bethune-Cookman 7-3 in the 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball Tournament on Friday evening at Russ Chandler Stadium.

The loss forces a Saturday elimination game against the Wildcats at 3 p.m. 

GSU (29-26) who hit the bell well in its first two games, struggled to create consistent offense in Fridays contest. The Tigers registered six hits, leaving three runners on bases. Tiger Borom and Keylon Mack picked up RBIs for the Tigers. Mack went 1-for-4 with home run and two RBI, while Borom was 1-for-4 with an RBI

Mack got the night started with a bang, smacking a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, giving GSU a 2-0 lead. It was his third long ball of the tournament and his 16th of the season. 

Bethune-Cookman (32-26) scored two runs in the top of the fourth, tying the game 2-2. Boris Peña's RBI single in the fifth gave the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. 

GSU responded in the bottom of the inning when Tiger Borom delivered a two-out RBI single into the centerfield, evening the score 3-3. 

However, BCU closed the game scoring four unanswered runs to claim the 7-3 victory over GSU and force a Saturday elimination game.

Kerry Boykins got the start on the mound, pitching 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with one strikeout and one walk. Javier Martinez (1-4) was charged with the loss in relief after surrendering two runs on two hits. 

Darrius York (2-1) earned the win in relief for BCU, limiting GSU to no runs on one hit with a strikeout. 

Up Next

Grambling State faces Bethune-Cookman in an elimination game on Saturday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Russ Chandler Stadium. 

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