NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Prairie View A&M University baseball team rallied for an 8-6 win over Grambling in a SWAC Tournament elimination game Thursday afternoon at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
The win by the Panthers (19-36) is their first in the SWAC Tournament since 2014 as PVAMU advances to Friday's noon elimination game between the loser of Thursday night's game between Alabama State and Alcorn State. The pregame show will begin at 11:45 a.m. on pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork.
Nic Campos (1-4) earned the win in relief, pitching 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing four hits, one run, walking one and striking out three. He stymied a Grambling State rally in the sixth after the Tigers (22-30) scored three runs in the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Campos came in with the bases loaded and no one out and did not allow another run to score, leading to the Panthers' rally in the home half of the sixth.
Jalyn Baker walked to lead off the inning, and advanced to second on a
Kevin Macias' bunt. Pinch hitter
Tyrone Thomas singled to second, advancing Baker to third.
Tyler Gordon then singled up the middle, scoring Baker to cut the deficit in half.
Avery Williams singled to center field, scoring pinch runner
Brashad Jones to tie the score at 5-5.
After
Corbin Jamison walked to load the bases and a fielder's choice grounder for the second out,
Carson Lee walked to score
Avery Williams. On a 2-2 pitch,
Steven Williams singled to right center, scoring Jamison and
Cody Den Beste for the final margin.
After Grambling added a pair of base runners in the ninth and with the tying run at second base,
Edgar Sanchez came on to strikeout Wesley Drain for the final out earn his second save and eliminate the 2017 SWAC Western Division champions.
Lee reached base five times on a pair of hits and three walks, and
Avery Williams and Baker each had two hits for the Panthers.
PVAMU scored in the first two innings. A. Williams led off with a single to left field, advanced to second on a Jamison sacrifice bunt, and scored on a two-out single by Lee to right center to take a 1-0 lead.
In the second, Baker singled through the left side, and Macias reached on an infield single. Following a sacrifice bunt by
Kaylor Lewis on an 0-2 count, Baker scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 lead as Macias advanced to third. Gordon's RBI groundout scored Macias for a 3-0 Panther lead.
Grambling scored single runs in the third and fourth innings before its three-run sixth, leading to the Prairie View A&M comeback.
