SWAC Tourney: Alabama State baseball beats FAMU

Courtesy of Alabama State Athletics

ATLANTA, Ga. | Jayden Sloan’s RBI single in the top of the ninth gave Alabama State University a 9-8 walk off win over FAMU at 2023 SWAC Baseball Championship on Thursday at Russ Chandler Stadium. 

The Hornets erupted for five runs in the bottom of the ninth to erase an 8-4 deficit. Cristian Lopez’s double down the right field line tied the game to set the stage for Sloan.  

INSIDE THE MATCHUP 
FINAL: Alabama State 9 | Florida A&M 8 
Location: Atlanta, Ga. | Russ Chandler Stadium 
Records: Alabama State 41-16 | Florida A&M 25-28 

WALK IT OFF Jayden Sloan!! Sloan singles in Lopez and @BamaStateBB WINS! Hornets advance to play to stay unbeaten in @theswac tournament. Hornets advance to face @FAMU_Baseball or @baseball_pvamu at 2 PM CT on Friday. Better get to the ATL for this one!!#SWARMAS1 | #IAMSWAC pic.twitter.com/7Oqmex3m1s

— Alabama State Baseball (@BamaStateBB) May 26, 2023

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• Ali Lapread two-run double gave the Hornets a 2-0 lead in the first inning.  
• Will Brown had an RBI triple in the second, and Sebastian Greico got a run home with a sac-fly in the third to tie the game 2-2.  
• The Rattlers took a 5-2 lead in the fifth. Joseph Perini and Will Brown had RBI singles, and a run scored on an error.  
• Ian Matos delivered a two-out double and scored on a Hay single up the middle to cut the FAMU advantage to 5-3 in the fifth.  
• Sebatian Greico hit a two-run home run as part of a three-run eighth to give FAMU an 8-3 lead.  
• Lopez singled and scored on a wild pitch to end the eighth inning down 8-4. 
• Alabama State erupted for five runs in the bottom of the ninth. Randy Flores walked and scored on a wild pitch. Matos and Hay. worked one out walks, and Lapread singled to load the bases. Matos scored on a Corey King sacrifice fly, and Lopez doubled in Hay and Lapread to tie the game, 8-8 and set up Sloan’s RBI single.  

ON THE MOUND 

• Adiel Melendez (2-0) earned the win, working 1.1 innings. Melendez yielded a run on two hits with a strikeout.  
• Zach Morea (4-3) took the loss for the Rattlers, giving up two runs on three hits with three strikeouts. 

INSIDE THE BOX  

• The Hornets had three extra base hits, all doubles, and lead the SWAC with 227 extra base hits.  
• Alabama State had double digit hits for the 40th time. 
• Lapread had two hits with a double and two RBI. 
• Lopez drove in two runs on two hits with a double. 
• King, Hay and Sloan had RBI singles.  

UP NEXT: Alabama State awaits the winner of Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M on Friday at 2 p.m. (CT).