Baseball rallies to take Series against LSU-Alexandria
The defending regular season Gulf Coast Athletic Conference champion Wiley University baseball team overcame a four-run deficit in the first game and won 5-4 in 10 innings on a walk-off home run by Smauri Abram. It overcame a two-run deficit to win 8-6 on a walk-off single by Abel Rodriguez Jr. to claim the series against Louisiana State University at Alexandria on Saturday at Coker Field.
The Wildcats (13-8) defeated the Generals for the first time since 2020 and won a series against them for the first time since 2018. They improve to 8-2 in home games.
In the first game, Wiley fell behind after allowing runs in the first, second, third and fifth innings. Brendan Mendoza led off the fifth with a single. Ryan Clark courtesy ran, stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw. Ajari Camp brought him home with an infield single.
Armand Daigre led off the seventh with a double. He advanced on a single by McPherson and scored on Camp's single to left. A ground ball to short by Jacob Perez brought home McPherson. Camp tied the game, scoring on a wild pitch. A strikeout and flyout ended the inning, sending the game to extra innings.
Wiley's first two batters reached in the eighth but the next three batters grounded into a fielder's choice, flied out to center and grounded out to first. LSU-Alexandria had the go-ahead run on second with one out in the ninth. Ethan Jones got two groundouts to keep the game tied. The Wildcats went down in order sending the game to the 10th.
After a leadoff walk, Jalen Porter took over and struck out the first batter he faced. He hit the next batter but got a groundout and strikeout to keep the game tied, allowing Abram to deliver a victory with his second home run of the season.
Porter picked up his second win. Jones provided four solid innings of relief, only allowing one hit and striking out five. Isaac Burciaga started and threw five innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and struck out six.
Del Villar went 3-for-5. Camp went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Daigre and McPherson both went 2-for-4 and scored runs.
In the second game, the Wildcats trailed after giving up runs in the first and third innings. Kai Woodard led off the third with a walk and Eddie Garza was hit by a pitch. Daigre drove in Woodard with a single. Ready tied the game with a double. Del Villar gave the Wildcats the lead with a sacrifice fly to center - scoring Daigre. Wiley extended the lead in the fifth. Daigre reached on fielder's choice and scored on a double by Jaziel Martinez.
The Wildcats struggled in the top of the seventh inning. They allowed the first two batters to reach base. A home run put the Wildcats behind by two. Daigre, Ready and Del Villar singled to load the bases. Ajari Camp pinch ran for Ready. Wiley ended up down to its last out on a fielder's choice ground ball and an out on the base paths. Tyson Minter brought Wiley within one with an infield single. Julian Rosales walked but the ball went past the catcher allowing Ryan Clark to score the tying run. Abel Rodriguez Jr. sealed the game with a base hit down the first base line.
Daigre went 2-for-4 with two runs. Del Villar went 2-for-3 with a run. Minter went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Ready and Martinez also had two hits.
Juan Pena earned his second win, pitching the last two innings. Nick Rodriguez started and went five innings, giving up an earned run on three hits and struck out four.
The Wildcats will host Rust College for its third Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) series on March 8 and 9 at Coker Field.
For more coverage on the Wildcats visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/bsb/index
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 12 varsity sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field and baseball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the Continental Athletic Conference for men's and women's soccer.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
Facebook: /WileyAthletics
Instagram: @wileyuniversityathletics, @wileybaseball
YouTube: /c/Wiley Wildcats
Urban Edge Network: Wiley University
