Gramblinite 3.17.2016 | Page 5

Sports Thursday, March 17, 2016 5 CONTACT: [email protected] Ole Miss sweeps GSU in weekend series BRANDON LAGARDE GSU Sports Media The Grambling State baseball team suffered 15-2, 7-3, and 6-1 losses to No. 13 Ole Miss in a three-game weekend series. GSU played a double header Sunday (March 13) due to rain storms that pounded northern Louisiana and Mississippi, leaving 1.33 inches of rain in Oxford Friday and Saturday, causing the postponement of Saturday night’s scheduled game and forcing a doubleheader Sunday. Friday night Ole Miss (151) pitcher Brady Bramlett had 11 s t r i ke o u t s, Nunez and Ole Miss took GSU down 15-2 at Swayze Field. In the second game, and the first of Sunday’s doubleheader at the University of Mississippi’s Swayze Field, Grambling State got off to a strong start. Darien “Speedy” Brown laid down a squeeze bunt and used his speed to get on base. With runners on first and sec- Pitcher Caleb Nunez throws a fast pitch to an Ole Miss batter during one of the weekend games. ond base, Rebels pitcher Chad Smith bulked, Wesley Drain and Brown advanced an extra base. Trey Bell stepped up with a RBI single. With the bases loaded Brown stole home, and Grambling State led 2-0. Ole Miss settled down, scoring the next seven runs, enough to win the game. Colby Bortles’ bat was still hot from Friday’s win, going 2-for-3, including a solo home run into left field. Ryan Olenek homered once. GSU out hit the Rebels 9-8, with bases loaded in the JOSHUA McCOY/Ole Miss Athletics second and sixth innings Ole Miss pitching and defense showed why they are one of the best ball clubs in the country. Wyatt Short closed the game for the Rebels, allowing zero runs and one hit as he faced five batters. With the bases loaded in the sixth, Bell stepped up again with a RBI single to center, Daniel Barnett scored. Johan Mojica hit a pop fly, and he was ahead in the count 3-0. Pinch hitter Andres Castillo went down swinging, and Malcom Boyce. Short earned both strikeouts in his relief efforts. In the second of Sunday’s double header, GSU third baseman Daniel Barnett scooped up a ground ball and fired it to second baseman Larry Barraza for the third out of the third inning. Barnett then cruised to second base after he crushed the baseball down the third baseline. Barnett advanced to third after a while pitch and Tray Bell brought Barnett home with a sacrifice fly ball. Barnett scored the lone Tigers run. In the fourth Barnett made a catch in foul territory, then squeezed the gap and threw a dart two the second baseman Larry Barraza for the force out. In the fifth he showed his patience in the batter’s box, facing a 3-2 count Barnett took the pitch and earned a walk. Lady Tigers fall to Lady Hornets in semifinal of SWAC tourney BRE’ANNA JOHNSON GSU Sports Media Courtesy photo Eleven students were among the Gramblinites who attended the HBCU Summit recently in Jackson, Mississippi. Recreation summit held STAFF REPORT An HBCU Summit was hosted at the Walter Payton Recreation Complex on Jackson State University’s campus recently. The Summit was a social event that aimed to identify opportunities, challenges, and issues that Historically Black Colleges and Universities face in the field of collegiate recreation. GSU’s Recreation and Intramural Center partnered with the Kinesiology Department and sponsored 11 students to attend the Summit. Attendees at the Summit, held Feb. 24, were professional members of the National March Madness in full swing SWAC representative loses play-in game THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Holy Cross has a losing record — and a long-awaited win in the NCAA Tournament. The Crusaders beat Southern University 59-55 Wednesday night. It was a sloppy game that didn’t get tight until well into the second half. Holy Cross led by as many as 12 in the first half, but a 9-0 run allowed the Jaguars to cut the lead to 27-22 at halftime. Southern started the second half with 7-0 spurt and eventually tied it with 1:24 left. Southern (22-13) earned an automatic bid when it beat Jackson State 54-53 in the championship game of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament. Intramural and Recreational Sports Association. Attending from GSU were kinesiology professors Melissa Russell and Yvonne Calvin; recreation/intramural staff member Marcus Kennedy; and kinesiology students Coi Duronslet, Hal Mims, Chris Bethley, Darryn DeJohnette, Taneshia Morrison, Ryan Johnson, Candice Newton, Angelo Eave, Trenton Scott, Traderric Ford, and Whitney Marshall. The event proved to be a great opportunity for students to receive internships, graduate assistantships and employment, in addition to building a pipeline of emerging professionals in the field. Grambling State University Lady Tigers (17-14; 13-5 SWAC) lost a Southwestern Athletic Conference semifinal game, 64-50 Friday (March 11) at the Toyota Center, and head women’s basketball coach Nadine Domond was disappointed but Domond proud. “We walk in here with our heads high because this is Neal led the team just as she just the beginning,” she said did Thursday night, finishing after her team lost to SWAC with 14 points and a couple #1 seed Alabama State Uni- of rebounds. Freshman guard and versity’s Lady Hornets, the same team that beat GSU SWAC Freshman of the previously (March 5). “”these Year Jazmin Boyd finished are just labor pains for what with 11 points and grabbed we’re trying to do and to two steals. Shakyla Hill and birth this thing into some- John’ea Thompson each added eight points. thing great.” The Lady Tigers’ steals The GSU-ASU matchup early in the game gave them was a good one in the first half, with an explosive start momentum and an early lead. by the Lad