BOX SCORE NEW ORLEANS – The Prairie View A&M baseball team (0-2) dropped a pair of contests to open the 2020 Andre Dawson Classic Friday, falling 12-0 versus Alabama State and 11-5 against Alcorn State.

Alabama State 12, PVAMU 0 (F/7)
After holding Alabama State's hitters quiet early on, senior right-hander Kyle Smith ran into a jam during the third inning when Alabama State strung together a trio of base hits with two outs to go ahead 3-0. Aided by Panther miscues, the Hornets went on to add five runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth, as the Panthers' offense was unable to get on track throughout the game.

Sophomore Alex Martinez and senior Dalton Horner each had a base hit. Smith struck out two in 4.0 innings of work, allowing four earned runs. Junior Lorenzo Hardit fanned three in two innings of relief work.

Alcorn State 11, Prairie View A&M 5
Though the Panther bats were quiet earlier in the day, Prairie View A&M was done in by an inability to bring runners home in key moments versus Alcorn State.

Junior Christian Mendez sparked the Panthers in the bottom of the third with a line drive single, and freshman Brayden Johnson picked up his first collegiate RBI with a double to centerfield. The Panthers eventually loaded the bags but a strikeout prevented them from potentially breaking the contest open.

Though Alcorn State tied the game in the top of the fourth, junior Calvin Rucker delivered a one-out double, and Mendez followed with a RBI single to put the Panthers back in front, but the frame ended with runners on second and third. After the Braves tacked on on five runs over the next three innings to pull ahead, the Panthers tried to rally as freshman Darryl Jett hit a pinch-hit single to start the bottom of the eighth, and Rucker followed with a RBI double to chip away at the Braves' lead.

Senior Andrew Garcia then drew a walk, and junior Andrew Paige delivered a two-run double to bring Prairie View A&M within one. Despite loading the bases with two outs, the Panthers weren't able to add to their total. Alcorn pushed five runs across in the top of the ninth, and the Panthers weren't able to overcome the deficit.

Mendez went 3-for-4 at the dish, with Rucker going 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Freshman Tyrone Tubbs went 6.0 innings, striking out five in his first collegiate start.

Next Up:
Prairie View A&M continues play in the Andre Dawson Classic versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.