NEW ORLEANS – Texas Southern fell short in their comeback attempt on Sunday at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament Championship losing by a score of 7-5.
Both sides traded scoreless first innings before Texas Southern threatened in the second. Although consecutive walks and a hit batter by Hornets starter Angel Alicea eventually led to runners loading the bags, Alicea retired Kamren Dukes to escape the jam.
The Hornets got their bats going in the third opening the frame with back-to-back singles by Diandre Amion and Carlos Ocasio. Dillon Cooper (4-for-4, 2 R) then hit a pitch over the right field wall for a three-run homer to give ASU the early advantage.
In the fourth, Texas Southern again put runners on first and second, but Alicea struck out Joel Rosario-Alicea and Dukes to keep the Tigers off the board.
Alicea carried a no-hitter into the fifth, but it was broken up by a Dukes single. However, Ryan Lazo lined out into a double play to send it to the bottom of the inning, where the Hornets extended their lead with a RBI groundout from Ray Hernandez and a RBI ground-rule double from Hunter Allen.
Texas Southern got on the board with a two-run shot to right field by Blake Hicks, cutting the game to 5-2. Horace Leblanc followed with a double, and TSU eventually put runners on the corners.
Alicea was able to avoid further damage by striking out Lazo to end the top of the sixth inning.
Cooper followed up with a RBI double to the right center warning track that scored Yamil Pagan, but Ocasio was tagged out at the plate during the play to end the inning.
A throwing error in the seventh allowed another Hornets run to score. In the eighth the Tigers showed life via a solo shot by pinch-hitter Jose Cabreja off of Tyler Howe, who came in to relieve Alicea. A hit batter brought in Joseph Camacho.
In the ninth, TSU tried to claw back into the game, getting runners on first and second. A throwing error allowed another Tigers run. Christian Sanchez followed with a RBI single that brought the Tigers within two runs, but Camacho was able to finish the save.
TSU concludes the season with a 24-26 overall record.Â
2016 All-SWAC Tournament Team
Troy Lewis, Southern
Aderly Perez, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Jaqueese Moore, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Colin Carroll, Alcorn State
Miguel Yrigoyen, Jackson State
Cornelius Copeland, Jackson State
Robert Pearson, Texas Southern
Kamren Dukes, Texas Southern
Tyler Howe, Alabama State
Yamil Pagan, Alabama State
Eriq White, Alabama State
Dillon Cooper, Alabama State
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