ITTA BENA, Miss. – The Mississippi Valley State baseball team were swept in their season finale doubleheader Sunday (May 5) by the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. The visitors won the first seven inning affair, 1-0, then came back to win 9-5.

Aaron Barkley (El Cajon, Calif.) pitched a masterful finale, striking out nine men in the complete game effort. He then recorded a two run double to help the Delta Devils rally in the second game.

On their senior days, Marshall Parrish (Hattiesburg, Miss.), Frederick Spencer II (Indianola, Miss.) and Wendell Rieves (Crawford, Miss.) all contributed. Parrish manned first base for all 14 innings and earned a sacrifice bunt and was hit by a pitch. Spencer went 2-for-3 in the opener, and Rieves went 2-for-4 in the nightcap while pitching the last inning.

In the first contest, Valley loaded the bases twice in an effort to take the lead. Each time they were turned away by A&M starter Jose Figueroa, who won his third game of the season.

The Delta Devil offense cracked the code in the third inning of game two. Barkley's double was bookended by fielder's choice RBI's from Rieves and Spencer. In the fourth, Valley tied the contest with an RBI single from Chase Colding (Farmington Hills, Mich.) at 5-5. But the Bulldogs took the lead for good with a three run sixth.

Mississippi Valley State finished the season with an 8-27 record.