ATLANTA, Ga. | The Grambling State University baseball team is one win shy of reach the 2024 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship game after coming from behind to eliminate Eastern Division No. 3 seed Alabama State 11-10 and defeating No. 1 seed Florida A&M 9-3 on Friday night at Russ-Chandler Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 1 | Alabama State
 
Grambling State showcased resilience, erasing a 6-0 first inning deficit, and clawing back to beat Alabama State 11-10. 
 
The Tigers had multiple clutch moments, but none were bigger than Cameron Bufford's eighth inning home run to complete the comeback. Bufford went 2-for-5 with four RBI.
 
Javier Martinez (3-1) nabbed the win for the Tigers, striking out three batters in 4.0 innings of work out of the bullpen. He surrendered two runs on four hits. 
 
Alabama State hopped out of the gates quickly, building a 6-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Hornets' inning was highlight by a 2-run homer by Juan Cruz. 
 
Grambling State responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Julian Murphy made it a 6-1 game with an RBI single roped into right field. Trevor Hatton followed that up with a 2-RBI single, cutting the deficit to 6-3. 
 
The Tigers pulled even closer in the bottom of the third when Kyle Walker laced an RBI single up the middle, making it 6-4.
 
With GSU behind 8-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Walker drove in another run with a double down the left field line. That double was Walker's fourth hit of the game. The New Orleans, La. native 4-for-5 with two RBI.
 
The Tigers made it 8-6 when Cameron Bufford ripped an RBI into left field. 
 
ASU's Cruz hit his third home run of the game in the eighth inning, stretching the Hornets cushion to 10-6. 
 
GSU hopped on the comeback train after that, using a five-run bottom of the eighth to push passed the ASU. Trevor Hatton hit a leadoff single to open the Tigers' half of the frame. Two batters later, Jose Vargas hit an RBI double, scoring Hatton, and making it a 10-7 game. Tiger Borom kept the scoring going when he scored Vargas on a base hit down the right field line, cutting ASU's lead to 10-8.
 
After a single from Walker put runners on first and third, Bufford cranked a no-doubt 3-run homer over the left centerfield wall, giving the Tigers its first lead of the day, 11-10.
 
Reliever Javier Martinez closed the door the Hornets in the ninth to preserve the victory and set up the Friday night rematch versus Eastern Division No. 1 seed, Florida A&M 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 2 | Florida A&M 
 
Friday night's game versus FAMU was much different from Thursday's loss.
 
Grambling State got the bats going, rattling Florida A&M pitching for nine runs on 16 hits. 
 
The Tigers were equally as dominant on the defensive end, quieting the bats of the defensing SWAC Champs. Mason Martinez (12-2) set the tone, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six batters.
 
Phillip Bryant secured his first save of the year after fanning five batters in 3.0 innings. He held the Rattlers scoreless on two hits. 
 
Tiger Borom opened the game with a leadoff double. Cameron Bufford drove him around to score on a sacrifice fly, giving GSU a 1-0 lead.
FAMU took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a 3-run homer by Sebastian Greco.
 
The Tigers answered the home run with a six-run top of the seventh. 
Ashton Inman provided a spark with a leadoff solo home run, cutting the Rattlers' lead to 3-2. After loading the bases, GSU tied the game when FAMU relief pitch G. Garrison walked Martavius Thomas. Tiger Borom brough the go-ahead run in to score after grounding into a 6-4-3 double play with the bases still loaded. GSU added three more runs to carry a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the frame. 
 
Grambling State padded its lead in the eighth inning, tacking on two runs and going up 9-3. 
 
UP NEXT
Grambling State faces Florida A&M at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Russ-Chandler Stadium. The winner advances to the SWAC Title game to face either Jackson State or Bethune-Cookman. 

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