GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State used a three-run seventh inning to erase a late deficit and complete a weekend sweep of Prairie View A&M with a 7-6 victory on Saturday afternoon at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park. With the win, the Tigers improved to 14-24 overall and 11-7 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). 

After Prairie View A&M grabbed a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh, Grambling answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning with timely hitting and aggressive baserunning.

Aidan Lopez opened the frame with a walk and Julio Vasquez followed with another free pass. Pinch runner Hasani Johnson then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch before Nicholas Jackson Jr. delivered the biggest hit of the afternoon, lining a two-run single that also advanced him to second on the throw, giving GSU a 6-5 advantage. Ryan Davis followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-5. 

Prairie View made things interesting in the ninth, plating a run on Michael Burroughs' RBI single, but Rafael Capistran retired the final batter to secure the victory and earn his first win of the season. Capistran tossed two innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout. 

Grambling State struck first in the opening inning when Dillon Braxton tripled to right field and scored on Cameron Hill's RBI single for a 1-0 lead. The Tigers added another run in the second after Braxton drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Nicholas Jackson Jr. 

The Tigers increased the margin to 4-1 in the third inning. Braxton came through again with a two-run single up the middle, bringing home Lopez and Vasquez. 

Prairie View A&M battled back in the sixth inning, taking advantage of GSU miscues to tie the game at 4-4. The Panthers scored three times in the frame, with only one run earned, before moving ahead in the seventh on a wild pitch. 

Braxton paced Grambling State offensively, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs, a triple, two runs scored and a walk. Jackson Jr. added two hits and two RBIs, while Davis finished with two hits and an RBI. Lopez scored twice and reached base four times, adding a triple and three walks. 

Trevor Esparza started on the mound for Grambling and worked 5.2 innings, allowing four runs — only one earned — while striking out four. Mohamed Harati and Trenton Shaw also saw action out of the bullpen before Capistran closed it out. 

Prairie View dropped to 7-31 overall and 3-15 in conference play. 

UP NEXT
Grambling State heads to Lafayette, La. for its final midweek contest of the regular season when it faces the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park and will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

FOLLOW GRAMBLING ATHLETICS
Stay updated with Grambling State Athletics by following @GSU_Tigers on X, @gramblingathletics on Instagram, and /GramblingStateTigers1901 on Facebook, or by visiting gsutigers.com