Jacksonville, Fla. — The Albany State Golden Rams wrapped up their weekend conference series against Edward Waters University with a split on the final day, falling 11–1 in game two before bouncing back with a 7–6 victory in game three on Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Rams showed resilience throughout the day, responding to a tough loss in the first contest with a strong offensive performance in the series finale.
Game Two: Edward Waters 11, Albany State 1
Albany State wasted little time getting on the board in the second game of the series.
Arin Chevers sparked the Golden Rams early with a solo home run to center field in the first inning, giving Albany State a quick 1–0 lead.
Edward Waters responded in the second inning, stringing together several scoring plays to take control of the game. The Tigers pushed across five runs in the frame and continued to add to their advantage over the next few innings to build a comfortable lead.
Chevers led the Golden Rams offensively, finishing with two hits and the team's lone RBI thanks to his early home run.
Luke Addison and
Ty Grover each recorded hits, while
David Cooper and
Ryan Brown reached base after being hit by pitches.
Game Three: Albany State 7, Edward Waters 6
Albany State quickly regrouped in the series finale, delivering a balanced offensive performance to secure a 7–6 win and close the weekend on a positive note.
Edward Waters struck first in the opening inning, scoring three runs to take an early lead. The Golden Rams answered in the second inning when
Isaiah Haygood launched a three-run home run to center field, bringing home
Perry Usher and
Ty Grover to tie the game at 3–3. Albany State kept the momentum going in the third inning when
Arin Chevers blasted a solo home run to left center, giving the Golden Rams their first lead of the game at 4–3. Edward Waters briefly tied the contest in the bottom half of the inning with a solo homer, but Albany State continued to apply pressure offensively.
In the fifth inning,
David Kile delivered an RBI single to center field, allowing Chevers to score and put Albany State back in front. The Golden Rams added another run in the sixth inning when
Aiden Payne powered a solo home run to right-center, extending the lead to 6–4. Albany State added a key insurance run in the seventh inning when Kile came through again with an RBI single that scored
David Cooper, pushing the advantage to 7–4. Edward Waters mounted a late push with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Golden Rams held firm to secure the 7–6 victory.
Offensively, Albany State produced 12 hits in the win.
Aiden Payne led the way with three hits, a home run, and an RBI, while
Arin Chevers added two hits, including a home run, and scored twice.
David Kile played a crucial role in the middle of the lineup with two hits and two RBIs, and
Perry Usher contributed two hits and a run scored. Haygood's three-run homer provided one of the game's biggest moments as the Golden Rams erased the early deficit.
Up next, the Golden Rams will remain on the road next weekend when they travel to Jackson, Tennessee, to face Lane College in a conference series scheduled for March 21–22.
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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.
