HOUSTON, Texas | The Grambling State University baseball team by as many as eight run, but couldn't hold on Alabama A&M's rally, falling 15-14 in the Cactus Jack HBCU Classic at Daikin Park on Sunday afternoon.
GSU (2-1) opened up a 9-1 lead but struggled on to silence AAMU's (1-2) offense.
The Tigers used six pitchers on the afternoon with
Trenton Shaw getting the start. The hard-throwing righty made it 2.0 innings, surrendering five runs on four hits. He registered five strikeouts.
Javier Martinez (0-1) was tagged with the loss after entering the game in the ninth inning and giving up a run.
John Decoste,
Payton Allen,
Derrell Fletcher also saw action on the mound.
Offensively, Grambling State racked up 14 runs on 12 hits with
Trey Bridges and
Aries Gardner both logging 3 hits. Bridges was 3-for-5with three RBI, two doubles and a triple. Gardner was 3-for-4 with four RBI, a triple and a home run.
In the top of the first inning, Grambling State's Martavious Thomas and
Nyan Hayes drew leadoff walks.
Trey Bridges brought both runners around to score with a one out 2-RBI double. After stealing third, Bridges plated the Tigers' third run on a wild pitch.
Aries Gardner walloped a 2-run home to right field, extending GSU's lead to 5-0 in the opening frame.
Alabama A&M scored its first run of the contest in the bottom of the first when B Hammons laced an RBI single. GSU pitcher
Trenton Shaw got out of a bases loaded jam with a strikeout to end the inning.
GSU responded with another big inning in the top of the second, scoring four runs to go up 9-1. Bridges hit his second RBI double of the day, scoring Thomas who reached base on a walk earlier in the inning. A fielding error at shortstop allowed the Tigers to plate another run. An RBI single by Shannon Brown and an RBI triple by
Aries Gardner closed the scoring in the frame.
AAMU scored four runs in the bottom of the second, cutting GSU's lead to 9-5.
The Tigers made a pitching change in the third inning, replace Shaw with
John Decoste. A pair of bases loaded wild pitches allowed Alabama A&M to pull closer, 9-7.
In the top pf the fourth, and runners on second and third for the Tigers, a passed ball allowed another GSU run to come home. A sacrifice fly by Gardner pushed Grambling's lead to 11-7
Alabama A&M trimmed GSU's advantage down to 11-10 with three runs in the fifth.
Leading 12-10 in the seventh inning, a sacrifice fly by
Cameron Hill made it 13-10. Following a triple by Bridges, Chenar Brow roped a sinle into left field, bring Bridges home and moving to lead to 14-10.
A four-run eighth inning for the Bulldogs tied the game at 14-14. In the ninth, AAMU's Charles Morris hit a leadoff single. After Brandon Edwards entered the game to pinch run, Issac Castro hit a walk-off RBI single to hand GSU the loss.
Alabama A&M reliever Raymond Clark (0-1) earned the win after giving up one hit with three strikeouts and three walks.
UP NEXT
Grambling State travels to Monroe, La. on Tuesday to take on Louisiana-Monroe. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Lou St. Amant Field.
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