Baseball Drops Back-and-Forth Series Finale

Grambling State scored the final five runs to overcome a one-run deficit as they defeated TSU 12-8 in a back-and-forth affair Saturday at MacGregor Park.

Grambling State opened the first inning with a triple and double for a 1-0 lead. TSU would get two straight outs but GSU responded with a single and another triple which upped the lead to 3-0. 

TSU’s CJ Castillo doubled with one out in the bottom of the first and scored on Johnathon Thomas’ infield single. However, Grambling State answered with three more runs for a 6-1 lead after the top of the second. Despite the setback, TSU continued to fight as Castillo hit a one out double and scored on a GSU error. Gabriel Vasquez hit a two-RBI double to left followed by Roderick Coffee’s RBI single to draw within 6-5.

Grambling State crossed home a run in the fifth to move ahead 7-5 but TaSU would fight back in the bottom half as Justin Cooper singled, stole second and scored on Jeremy Almaguer’s single to left field. A double by Thomas scored Almaguer and Castillo as TSU claimed its first lead of the afternoon at 8-7.  The lead was brief though as Grambling State scored four runs over the fifth and sixth innings to regain an 11-8 advantage.

Both teams went scoreless until the ninth as GSU added a run for a 12-8 margin. TSU had numerous opportunities to put a dent in GSU’s lead but failed to cross home any runs as they combined to leave eight runners stranded on base between the fifth and ninth innings.

Thomas went 4-for-5 for TSU with three RBI and a run scored. Castillo finished 2-for-5 with three runs while Coffee had two hits and an RBI. George Osbourne was credited with the loss as he allowed three runs in three innings of relief.

TSU is back in action on Tuesday against Kansas at the Buck O’Neil Classic in Kansas City, Kansas at 6 p.m. inside Legends Field. On Wednesday, TSU will head to Lawrence for the finale.