The Grambling State University Tigers dropped a 8-7 nail biter to the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, losing the series 2-1 last weekend.
GSU blew past UAPB Friday night 7-1, and lost Saturday 12-4 at Torii Hunter Baseball, Softball and Little League Complex.
The Golden Lions got off to a strong lead early in the game.
KEION HAYES/The Gramblinite
Grambling State pitcher Caleb Nunez picked up his first collegiate win against non-conference opponent
Texas College.
In the second inning UAPB scored six runs on five hits and a Julian Jones home run to take a 6-1 lead.
GSU erased a 8-3 ninth inning deficit with a Nicholas Wheeler single and an Angel Peguero single that skimmed over the first baseman’s glove.
Daniel Barnett walked and the plate was set for Larry Barraza. Barraza bruised a pitch to center field for a two run double. GSU trailed 8-5.
Darin Brown knocked a floater behind the third baseman for a two run single and stole second.
Leading 2-1 in the sixth inning, right fielder Diaym Hall crushed a pitch to a right center gap, scoring Mojica, and Hall tripled.
Later, center fielder Peguero drilled a line drive past the first baseman, and Wesley Drain scored. GSU added two more runs to close the game.
GSU took a two game conference lead after Friday night’s 7-1 statement win. In the win, starting pitcher
Issac O’Bear had a career best 10 strikeout performance. But the weekend series went to UAPB, 2-1.
Good hitting is often contiguous, and the Grambling State University Tigers caught the hitting bug early Tuesday (April 5), lighting up the scoreboard and cruising past Texas College 20-8 in a midweek non-conference matchup.
Things didn’t go well for Texas, and everything was going the Tigers’ way, in the first inning.
GSU (12-16, 8-4 SWAC) had its first three batters walked, second basemen Larry Barraza and first baseman Tray Bell popped up two consecutive sacrifice fly balls, and Wesley Drain and Angel Peguero scored.
In the second inning third baseman Daniel Barnett hit a hard two RBI double down third base line, and Drain and Peguero scored again.
Right fielder Nicholas Wheeler smacked a pitch to left field for a 330 foot home run scoring three runs. GSU led 8-1 after five innings.
Grambling State starting pitcher Caleb Nunez, 18, of Cincinnati, Ohio, picked up his first collegiate win.
“We got off to a slow start, GSU coach James Cooper said.
“We only had two hits going into the fifth inning. When you have slow starts like that against better teams you end up on the wrong side of the winner’s bracket at the end of the ball game.
“We picked it up I’m excited that we got the win.”
GSU, now ranked number one in the western division, will travel to Baton Rouge Thursday (April 7) for a three game series against SWAC competitor Southern University Jaguars with games scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.