With their seasons on the line, Alcorn State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff kept coming up with big comebacks and moments Thursday at the Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball tournament.

Alcorn had the last one, and was the team that lived to see another day.
Devin Walden’s RBI single in the top of the ninth inning put Alcorn ahead to stay, and it held on to beat UAPB 14-13 in an elimination game.

Alcorn (13-38) advanced to play Jackson State or Texas Southern in another elimination game Friday at 3 p.m.

Alcorn stayed alive despite blowing leads of six, four and four runs against UAPB (21-24).

A.J. Makarewicz hit a two-run single and Rios Jimenez a two-run homer in the second inning as Alcorn jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Arkansas-Pine Bluff chipped away and tied the game at 8 with a pair of two-run home runs by J.P. Soriano and Kacy Higgins in the fifth inning.

An RBI single by Jacob Columbo in the seventh gave the Golden Lions their first lead of the game, at 9-8.
Alcorn went back in front with a five-run rally in the top of the eighth. Kyle Jenkins hit a two-run home run, Justin Barna had an RBI triple, and Hunter Wilson a two-run single.

UAPB tied it again, at 13-all, with four runs in the bottom of the eighth as Nick Kreutzer belted a three-run home run.

Finally, in the ninth, Alcorn took the lead for good.

Brendly Martina led off with a single, stole second base and went to third on an errant pickoff throw. Walden then hit a 2-2 pitch up the middle to score Martina with the go-ahead run.

Alcorn reliever Razedrick Winters retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to put a calm cap on a wild game.