When a team gets just two runners on base in the final six innings of a postseason game, its opponent doesn't need to do much to secure the win.
Wednesday afternoon, a fifth-inning rally is all Jackson State needed to claim a 4-2 victory over the Jaguars on the first day of Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, sending the Jaguars to the loser's bracket.
Southern lost to JSU after the Tigers erupted for all four of their runs in a fifth-inning rally.
In the other eight innings, Southern shut down one of the nation’s most potent offenses and played clean, efficient baseball.
But the Jaguars scored just two runs — one in the second inning, one in the third — and their offense went silent.
“I don’t know if it’s so much the bats went dry as their pitcher did an outstanding job,” said Southern assistant coach Dan Canevari, filling in for a still-ailing Roger Cador.
“(JSU pitcher Jonathan Aponte) delivered three pitches in the (strike) zones, didn’t get behind too many hitters, didn’t walk anybody and they didn’t make any errors. It’s difficult to score.
“All in all, we played a good ballgame. It just didn’t work for us today, and that’s why they make it double-elimination.”
Canevari was in charge of the Jaguars on Wednesday as Cador, the team's 33rd-year head coach, continues to battle pneumonia from home.
Canevari said Cador will likely be out for the remainder of the tournament after meeting with his doctor Wednesday morning, though the head coach could try to make an appearance if medically cleared.
All of Southern’s offense came early in the day with Dondrayas Harris crushing a solo home run in the second and Phillip Williams hitting an RBI double in the third.
But after Williams, the Tigers retired 20 of Southern’s final 22 batters. Only Ashanti Wheatley managed to get on base with a single and a walk late in the game.
No matter what starter Tyler Robinson or reliever J’Markus George threw, without any offense, there was no coming back.
“I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating,” George said of the offense. “It’s part of the game. You may have one or two bad innings. You just have to figure out how you’re going to bounce back from it and hope you can continue to move forward. I wouldn’t say frustrating, but we can’t have those kinds of moments in this tournament.”
George — who made his second appearance since returning from a shoulder injury — not only promptly ended the tumultuous fifth inning, but kept Jackson State scoreless the final three frames. He allowed no runs on three hits and struck out four.
The Jaguars face Alabama A&M at 9 a.m. Thursday. Freshman Jacob Snyder will start for Southern.
Alcorn 7, Grambling 6 (11 innings)
In what was by far the day's most exciting game, Alcorn State pulled off a 7-6, extra-innings upset of top seeded Grambling in the Wednesday's final game of the evening.
After an explosive first inning that saw the Braves take a 3-2 lead, the teams went scoreless until the eighth when, once again, the offense's found their rhythm to send it into extras.
Alcorn finally sealed the victory when Kirt Cormier slapped an RBI single into left field.
"Too many errors, too many free bases early," said Grambling coach James Cooper. "Top of the first hurt us extremely bad and guys started to press. This is not a game that you want to play in pressure situations."
Texas Southern 7, Alabama A&M 4
Texas Southern cruised to a 7-4 win over Alabama A&M after scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Anthouny Martinez threw a complete game for the Tigers, allowing just five hits and four runs.
Texas Southern will play Jackson State at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Alabama State 13, Prairie View 5
The defending SWAC champions easily handled Prairie View in the opening round of the conference tournament on Wednesday after going down early.
The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Hornets scored seven unanswered runs over the next four innings to take the game.