GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State celebrated one of its baseball greats before first pitch Saturday afternoon, retiring the jersey of former Tiger standout and Major League Baseball All-Star Ralph Garr, but the Tigers fell 7-6 in a close battle at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park.
With the loss, Grambling State dropped to 11-22 overall and 8-7 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. Southern improved to 13-20 overall and 7-6 in league action.
The pregame ceremony honored Garr, one of the most accomplished players in program history, as Grambling State officially retired his jersey in recognition of his collegiate and professional career.
Once the game began, the Tigers struck first in the second inning, taking advantage of three Southern errors to build a 3-0 lead. Charles Ashe III opened the frame with a single and Cameron Hill reached on an error. Shannon Martin later reached on a throwing error to load the bases before Martavius Thomas lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring the first run. Grambling added two more runs on a wild pitch and another Jaguars miscue.
Southern answered in the third inning when KJ White Jr. launched a two-run homer to left field, trimming the Grambling advantage to 3-2.
Grambling responded in the bottom half of the inning. Dillon Braxton singled and later scored on an RBI single by Aidan Lopez. Trey Bridges followed with an RBI base hit to right field, extending the Tigers' lead to 5-2.
The Jaguars chipped away in the fifth. Ryan Hunter doubled and scored on Jaylon Lucky's RBI single, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
Southern surged ahead in the sixth with four runs. Beny Bikar Jr. doubled home a run before Hunter delivered an RBI single that also produced two runs after a Grambling error. White added an RBI single to cap the inning and give Southern a 7-5 lead.
The Tigers pulled within 7-6 in the seventh inning. Braxton walked and later scored when Hill drew a bases-loaded walk.
Grambling threatened again in the ninth. Bridges singled and Ashe followed with an infield single before Shannon Martin walked to load the bases with two outs. Southern reliever Caleb Ellis recorded the final strikeout to earn his third save and preserve the win.
Bridges led Grambling offensively, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Lopez finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks, while Ashe added two hits. Braxton scored twice.
Keevyn Goss started for the Tigers and allowed three runs over five innings with three strikeouts. Rafael Capistran was charged with the loss, falling to 0-2. Trenton Shaw tossed three scoreless innings in relief and struck out four.
UP NEXT
Grambling State looks to bounce back on Sunday when the Tigers conclude the series with SU. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Wilbert Ellis Field.
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