Southern University defeated Alcorn State 8-4 on Apr. 17 in the opening game of their weekend Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball series in Lorman, Mississippi. The Jaguars rallied with a five-run seventh inning to overcome a two-run deficit and secure the win.
The victory is important for Southern as it sets the tone for the rest of the series and keeps them competitive in conference play. The team used timely hitting, aggressive base running, and strong relief pitching to claim the win.
Southern started quickly with an RBI single from Xavier Bradley but trailed 4-2 after five innings. In the decisive seventh inning, Jaylon Lucky tied the game with a two-run single before Glenn Green III hit a bases-clearing triple to give Southern a three-run lead. An additional run was added in the eighth inning while reliever Caleb Ellis pitched three scoreless innings to close out Alcorn State.
Key contributors included Green III who went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in and KJ White Jr., who had three hits and scored once. Ryan Hunter also had two hits, scored twice, and stole two bases. Starting pitcher Bobby Spencer earned the win after allowing four runs over six innings before turning things over to Ellis for the save.
By numbers, Southern collected eleven hits, drew six walks, stole four bases, and threw a total of 152 pitches during the game. The team will look to build on this momentum when they face Alcorn State again at 2 p.m. in Game 2 of their series.
