FORT WORTH, Texas - The Panthers put in all on the line on Saturday in an 8-3 win over Alabama State to advance to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship game at 2 p.m. on Sunday against Jackson State at LaGrave Field. Prairie View A&M threw its ace Jonathan Mata in the semifinal game for the chance to play another day, and the gamble paid dividends.
Mata threw a complete game for the Panthers in the win, giving up just two earned runs off of six hits. He tallied seven strikeouts en route to becoming the third-consecutive Prairie View A&M starter to throw a complete game in the tournament.
Mata was hitless through three complete innings, but a throwing error by the junior pitcher eventually led to Alabama State taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth off of a Waldyvan Estrada two-run single. Both runs were earned.
First Team All-SWAC first baseman Dominiq Harris struck back in a big way in the bottom of the fourth. On a 2-2 count, the Panthers slugger got ahold of a fast ball and sent a shot well over the left field fence that read 325 feet. He scored designated hitter Greg Salcido, who reached on a leadoff single. That blast, which looked to be over 350 feet, was Harris' second home run of the SWAC Tournament and his eighth of the season. Harris finished the game batting 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Alabama State countered in the top of the fifth when Leo Rojas sent a sacrifice fly to left field to take a 3-2 lead as Mata seemed to settle down and get back into the groove that was disrupted in the fourth inning.
The Panthers moved into position to strike again in the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases for cleanup and designated hitter Greg Salcido. Salcido worked the count and was eventually hit by a pitch to drive in center fielder Colby Hines and tie the game at 3-3. That brought Harris back up to the plate, and he delivered once again. On a 1-2 count, Harris sent the ball on a line into left center and drove in second baseman Andre Oliver and third baseman Brad Benes for a 5-3 lead.
Catcher Trey Price opened up the flood gates in the eighth inning with a single to right field to drive in Walter Wells from second base. Price, along with Colby Hines was driven in thanks to a two-RBI single to left field by Benes to deal the death blow. With the win, Mata improved to 5-5 and finished his fourth complete game of the season on the largest stage of his Division 1 career.
Sunday's championship game will be streamed live on ESPN3 and then tape delayed at 9 p.m. on Monday on ESPNU. Mike Prince will have the radio call for the game via the OpenMic Broadcast Network via www.ktorradio.com.
COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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