For Alcorn State, the third time was indeed the charm.

Kilby Perdomo and Kenny Rowan both homered, and the Braves won their first Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship by beating Southern University 12-6 on Sunday afternoon.

Alcorn won for the first time in three consecutive trips to the championship game and clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Its regional destination will be announced on May 30.

“I am so proud of the players and my coaching staff,” Alcorn coach Barrett Rey said. “This was our goal before the season started, to win the SWAC. The guys never gave up, gave it their best, and I could not be more proud than I am today.”

Alcorn (26-27) went undefeated in the SWAC Tournament and scored 51 runs. Perdomo, who was named tournament MVP, homered in three of the Braves’ four victories. His solo shot in the bottom of the first inning Sunday gave Alcorn a 1-0 lead and set the tone. After Southern (29-21) tied it in the second inning, Alcorn scored four runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth to make it 9-2.

Rowan hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Eduardo Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, and Antolin Morales was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Brent Blaum (2-5) allowed five runs, three earned, in 5 1/3 innings but still came away with the victory. Steve Easter held Southern to one run on two hits in the last 3 2/3 innings for his first save of the season.

Rowan, Gonzalez and Easter all were selected to the all-tournament team.

Cameron McGriff went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for Southern.