ITTA BENA, Miss. - In an agonizingly close finish, the Mississippi Valley State baseball team came within a run of completing a comeback versus Alcorn State. But it was the Braves who left the ballpark today with a 7-6 win. Valley falls to 8-23 (6-12 SWAC) this season.  

Alcorn State started off the game with a five spot – three runs in the first and two more in the second. Devils starter Gerald Pintarich (Clairsville, Ohio) settled down after and put in a solid six innings of work with five strikeouts.  

In the bottom of the second, Chase Colding (Farmington Hills, Mich.) smashed his second home run of the season – a two run shot - to get Valley on the board. Billy Leflore (Carthage, Miss.) added an RBI single in the fifth to trim the deficit down to 5-3. Leflore led the Delta Devils with three hits on the day.  

The Braves responded with a two-run double off Brandon Hawkins (Jacksonville, Ark.) to build the lead back up to four. Those runs proved to be crucial as the game headed to the bottom of the ninth.  

After two singles up the middle, Aaron Barkley (El Cajon, Calif.) drove both men home with a base hit. Leflore followed with an RBI single to pull Valley within one. But after a key pitching change for Alcorn netted the strikeout they need to end the threat.  

 The rubber match of the series will be at 1 p.m. at the MVSU Baseball Field Sunday (April 28).