Southwestern Athletic Conference

NEW ORLEANS – Southern used a eight-run, late-innings rally to defeat Alcorn State 11-10 on Friday at Wesley Barrow Stadium in the SWAC Baseball Tournament. Southern advances to face Alabama State at 6 p.m. in a semifinal match up on Friday.

Southern, in their biggest comeback victory of the season, moves to 14-31 to a record while Alcorn State completes a 16-36 record for the year.

Alcorn State took an early three run lead in the first inning. Cedric Bell picked up Wallace Rios from third on a sacrifice fly in an at bat before Collin Carroll hit a two run blast to left field.

Southern got on the scoreboard in the second inning Anthony Valdes solo blast to center field.

The Braves tallied a big fifth inning on the Jaguars. Der’Vincent. Hamilton drew a bases loaded walk to force in Bell. Carroll scored while Justin Barna was at the plate on a wild pitch before Barna drew the third-straight walk of the frame. Two more runs came in on a Southern throwing miscue before Walker tallied RBI single. Jason Sanez crossed the plate before the inning-ending double play was completed.

Southern came back to score three runs in the seventh, cutting the lead to 9-4. Two runs came in on a wild pitch that was thrown past the player covering home plate. The third run of the inning crossed the plate on Robinson Mateo’s sacrifice fly.

In the eighth inning, the Jaguars tallied four runs to move within a run, 9-8. M Hodge scored on a passed ball two at-bats before Troy Lewis cleared the bases with a three-RBI double.

Bell hit a solo home down the right field line to push the Braves score to 10-8 in the bottom of the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, Chris Eusay drew a bases-loaded walk to push the Jaguars first run of the inning across the plate. Malik Blaise laced a two-RBI single through the middle of the field to give Southern an 11-10 lead.

Southern reliever Justin Freeman (3-3) scattered two runs (one earned) on six hits, walking three and striking out one over 3.2 innings for the win. Harold Myles (1) collected the save after a clean ninth inning and one strike out.

Alcorn State’s Payden Lynch (1-5) gave up three runs on two hits, walked two and struck out four in 0.2 of an inning for the loss.