Jacksonville, Fla. — The Albany State Golden Rams battled back late but came up just short in a 5–4 loss to Edward Waters University Friday evening in the opening game of the conference series in Jacksonville.
The Golden Rams struck first in the top of the first inning when
Luke Addison delivered a clutch double down the right field line to bring
Aiden Payne home, giving Albany State an early 1–0 lead.
Edward Waters answered in the third inning when Joseph Di Cesare tied the game with a solo home run to left center. The contest remained tight until the fifth inning, when Edward Waters capitalized on several opportunities to plate four runs and take a 5–1 advantage.
Albany State refused to go quietly and began to chip away at the deficit in the later innings. In the seventh,
David Kile grounded out to second base to drive in
Tyler Turner, cutting the lead to 5–2 and keeping the Golden Rams within striking distance.
The Golden Rams continued their push in the eighth inning. With runners on base,
Arin Chevers delivered one of the biggest hits of the night, sending a single up the middle that drove in
Aiden Payne and
David Cooper to bring Albany State within a single run at 5–4.
Chevers led Albany State offensively with an outstanding performance at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk. Payne added a run-scoring presence at the top of the lineup with two runs scored, while Cooper contributed a hit and a walk. Addison also made an impact early with his RBI double, and
Ryan Brown added a hit to help pace the Golden Rams' seven-hit effort.
Albany State's pitching staff worked to keep the team within reach, allowing the offense the opportunity to mount its late comeback.
Albany State will look to bounce back as the series concludes Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Jacksonville against Edward Waters University. The Golden Rams will aim to build on their late-game momentum as they seek to claim the final two games of the series.
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ABOUT ALBANY STATE ATHLETICS
Albany State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II-level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 11 sports: women's volleyball, women's tennis, women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's soccer, baseball, and football, with all teams competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), except women's soccer, which participates in the Peach Belt Conference.
