Late Rally Lifts ASU Hornets Over North Carolina Central

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- A four-run eighth inning rally lifted the Alabama State baseball team to a 9-8 win over North Carolina Central Sunday at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

Trailing 7-5, Richard Amion led off the eighth with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball. Cesar Rivera beat out a grounder to the right side for an infield single, scoring Amion. After a sacrifice bunt by Richard Gonzalez moved Rivera to second base, Waldyvan Estrada's single to right field scored Rivera to tie the game at 7-7. Emmanuel Marrero then singled to right field, advancing Estrada to third. Branden Castro's perfectly executed safety squeeze bunt scored Estrada with the go-ahead run. Dexter Price then walked before Chase Waters' single into right field scored Marrero for a 9-7 lead.

Amion, Rivera, and Estrada each had three hits and scored two runs in the 19-hit attack for the Hornets (24-8), who won their sixth straight game in completing the three-game sweep.

"We sat on a five-run lead, and we know in baseball that's not enough," head coach Mervyl Melendez said of his team, which scored five runs in the first inning but did not score again until the late-game rally. "Teams at this level are going to be able to come back, they're going to make a run, and put some innings together. That was the case today. North Carolina Central did a very good job in doing just that to take the lead. I'm just extremely proud of our team. I've said it many times – when adversity hits, that's when we are at our strongest and play our best baseball. This is a very good victory, especially coming from behind."

Armando Ruiz (2-2) pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and a run in the ninth. With the tying run on third, he struck out Eric Kimber on a 1-2 pitch for the final out.

"You have to depend on guys who want the baseball," Melendez said of Ruiz. "I had every intention in the ninth inning to take him out the game, but he said 'I got it.' He was very firm about wanting the baseball with the game on the line. I stepped back, and watched him do his thing."

Alabama State scored five runs in the first inning to take an early lead. The Hornets began the game with four straight hits. Amion and Rivera each singled to right field, and Gonzalez' single to left scored Amion. Estrada then doubled to left center field, scoring Rivera and advancing Gonzalez to third. After an RBI groundout by Marrero scored Gonzalez for a 3-0 lead, Castro's sacrifice fly scored Estrada. Price then walked and later scored on a single up the middle by Einar Muniz for a 5-0 lead.

North Carolina Central (9-17-1) took the lead with three runs in the fourth and sixth innings, and a run in the seventh before the late-game rally by Alabama State, which improved to 8-0 on Sunday games this season.

"All the credit goes to this group of guys that believe in themselves," Melendez said. "They made a commitment last year, knowing they had to play better to win ball games. It's a true testament of the hard work they have put in during the offseason and early part of this season and I'm very happy for them."

The Hornets continue the five-game homestand Tuesday against Mercer and Wednesday against Jacksonville State, with first pitch both days at 6 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

Box Score

 COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION