(Pictured: Angel Avalos crosses home plate in Prairie View A&M's tournament opener against Alabama State. / Photo by John Posey)

SWAC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Alabama State Hornets stifled a late Prairie View A&M comeback Wednesday and defeated the Panthers 5-4 in the opening round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament.
 
The Panthers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth inning, chasing Armando Ruiz from the mound after only one-third of an inning. The Hornets gave the ball to Michael Tellado, who struck out the final two batters to end the game and preserve the victory.
 
The loss sends Prairie View A&M (15-35) to an elimination game Thursday, when the Panthers will face Jackson State. First pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m. at Wesley Barrow Stadium at New Orleans' Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy.
 
Alabama A&M, the SWAC's East Division champion, improved to 31-17 with the win. The Hornets will face Southern on Friday.
 
Joseph Camacho, the SWAC's Pitcher of the Year for 2015, picked up the win for the Hornets, throwing seven and two-thirds innings while allowing four earned runs and striking out four batters. Camacho threw 140 pitches during the game.
 
Alberto Aveytia pitched seven strong innings for the Panthers, but ended up taking the loss. The junior from El Paso, Texas (El Paso CC) struck out four batters while allowing four earned runs. Grant Dougherty pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Prairie View A&M.
 
The Hornets opened the scoring in the bottom of the third when Cesar Rivera doubled home Ray Hernandez, who had led off the inning by reaching base on an error. Alabama State then added three more runs in the fourth inning, two of which scored on a Hernandez triple.
 
The Panthers finally solved Camacho in the sixth inning when they plated three runs of their own. After loading the bases with one out, Joseph Mack knocked a two-RBI single up the middle to score Angel Avalos and Dougherty. Cody Den Beste later came home on Anthony Fernandez' sacrifice fly.
 
After Alabama State added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh, Fernandez again cut the lead to one with an RBI in the top of the eighth, this time hitting a single to score Carson Lee.
 
Jackson State fell into the elimination game after losing to Southern 10-5. On the other half of the bracket, Texas Southern defeated Alcorn State 5-2, and Grambling State upset Alabama A&M 8-3.