PINE BLUFF, Ark. | Grambling State earned a split in Saturday's doubleheader against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, powering past the Golden Lions 15-3 in the opener before falling 8-6 in the nightcap at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex.
The Tigers moved to 20-28 overall and 17-10 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) while the Golden Lions moved to 22-30 and 15-12 in conference.
Game 1 | Grambling State 15, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3
Grambling State exploded for 11 runs in the sixth inning to cruise to a dominant victory in the opening game of the doubleheader.
The Tigers opened the scoring in the third inning when James Woody singled and later scored on a wild pitch after Martavius Thomas doubled down the left-field line.
Grambling State added three more runs in the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 4-0. Cameron Hill walked to begin the frame before Charles Ashe III ripped an RBI double down the left-field line. Woody later added an RBI single and Chris Marcellus scored on a double-play ball.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff cut the deficit to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Grambling starter Trevor Esparza worked out of trouble and induced an inning-ending double play to limit the damage.
The Tigers broke the game wide open in the sixth inning, sending 16 batters to the plate during an 11-run outburst. Grambling State capitalized on walks, wild pitches and defensive miscues while also delivering timely hits throughout the inning. Shannon Martin highlighted the rally with a two-run single, while Trey Bridges and Aidan Lopez added RBI hits. Cameron Hill, Martavius Thomas and Ryan Davis also drove in runs during the frame as the Tigers pushed the lead to 15-2.
Martin finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Woody went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Hill reached base four times and scored twice, and Thomas added a double, RBI and two runs scored.
Esparza earned the win after allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts across 6.1 innings. Nick Robinson recorded the final two outs in relief.
Game 2 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff 8, Grambling State 6
Grambling State carried a four-run lead into the seventh inning of the nightcap, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff used a seven-run frame to rally for the victory.
The Tigers jumped in front early, scoring in the first inning when Charles Ashe III lined an RBI single to left field to plate Aidan Lopez.
Grambling State added two more runs in the third inning. Trey Bridges and Lopez opened the frame with consecutive singles before Cameron Hill delivered an RBI single to center field. Lopez later scored on a double-play ball to extend the advantage to 3-0.
After Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored once in the fourth inning, the Tigers answered in the fifth when Lopez scored on a groundout by Ashe to make it 4-1.
Martavius Thomas tripled to open the seventh inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Shannon Martin, giving Grambling State a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
The Golden Lions responded with seven runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning, taking advantage of several Grambling State defensive miscues. UAPB scored seven runs while only one run in the inning was earned. Jose Vasquez delivered a key two-run single during the rally as Arkansas-Pine Bluff surged ahead 8-5.
Grambling State attempted to rally in the ninth inning. Charles Ashe III singled and Thomas was hit by a pitch before Nicholas Jackson Jr. lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Ashe and trim the deficit to 8-6. However, the Tigers were unable to push across any additional runs.
Bridges led the Tigers offensively in game two, going 3-for-5, while Ashe collected three hits and two RBIs. Lopez scored three runs and added two hits, and Hill finished with two hits and an RBI.
Payton Allen turned in a strong start for Grambling State, allowing one run on five hits while striking out five over five innings. Rafael Capistran, Trenton Shaw and Mohamed Harati all appeared in relief.
UP NEXT
Grambling State concludes the regular season when it travels to Daytona Beach, Fla. to take on Bethune-Cookman. The series begins on Thursday, May 14. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. EST/ 6 p.m. CST at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
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