Baseball Falls 5-2 In Series Opener At Grambling State

GRAMBLING, La. – Grambling State combined to score three runs in the third and fourth innings as TSU couldn’t get over the hump in a 5-2 decision on Friday evening.

GSU led 1-0 after the first as Jarficur Parker was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a failed pickoff. He would score on sac during the next at-bat. TSU’s Roderick Coffee would knot the contest up at 1-all with a solo homer in the third but Grambling State countered in the bottom half with a pair of doubles and a single to lead 3-1.

Gabriel Vasquez reached base on a GSU error and moved to third before scoring on Rueben Bennevendo’s RBI single as the lead was cut to 3-2. TSU had two runners on after Justin Cooper’s two-out single but couldn’t capitalize after striking out.

A leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth came back to haunt TSU as the runner would advance to third on a pair of wild pitches before scoring on a steal situation as GSU led 4-2. GSU added another run in the seventh for a 5-2 lead as TSU struggled at the plate with six strikeouts over the final five innings.

Tyrese Clayborne led TSU with two hits while Bennevendo and Coffee had an RBI. CJ Castillo (3-4) struck out eight along with four strikeouts from Adolf Castillo on the mound.

The series resumes at 3 p.m. on Saturday.