TALLADEGA, Ala. - The Talladega College baseball team split a doubleheader against visiting Florida National University at home this afternoon. The Tornados move to 5-1 on the season while FNU is now 1-1 to start the year.
 

Talladega was paced by both Wander Arias and Miguel Oropeza at the plate today as Arias finished the day going 4-for-9 with three RBIs and three runs scored. While Oropeza went 3-for-5, with a home run, four runs scored, two RBIs, and three walks on the day.
 

Both teams are back in action tomorrow to close out the four-game series with game one of the doubleheader starting at 11:30 AM CT with game two to follow.

After both teams went scoreless in the first frame, Florida National took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second.
 

That lead didn't last long as the Tornadoes pushed 11 runs across the plate to make it 11-2 in their half of the second. With one out, Talladega got things going as Jose Santiago walked and then advanced to second on an error by the shortstop. He later came around to score when Armando Jackson doubled to right center. Jackson was later lifted for pinch runner Andres Puello. Jesuette Dominguez later drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Puello scored off Darlin Fernandez's fielder's choice and the error on the play allowed Dominguez to make it safely into second. Nomar Garcia's fielder's choice loaded the bases for Talladega.
 

Still with one out, Jahir Cruz singled to left to drive in Dominguez and move Garcia to third. Cruz later moved up to second on a sac bunt from Isaac Guzman. With two outs and runners on second and third, Garcia crossed the plate from Arias single to center. Cruz took third on the play. Oropeza walked to load the bases, which allowed Talladega to bat around and give Santiago his second at-bat in the inning. This time he doubled to left to drive in a pair and send Oropeza to third. Talladega would tack on two more runs before the inning came to a close.

FNU pushed a pair of runs across in the top of the third on a pair of hits and an error to make it 11-4.

The Tornados added three runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 14-4 and a run in the bottom of the sixth to go up 15-4 before the game ended.
 

Talladega starting pitcher Jose Franco pitched six strong innings while scattering five hits and allowing four runs. He fanned five in the process.

After dropping the first game of the doubleheader, Florida National took an early 5-0 lead after two and a half innings.

Guzman got things rolling in the bottom of the third for Talladega when he singled to second. He later came around to score when Arias parked a home run over the left-field wall to make it, 5-2. The next three Tornadoes went down in order to end the frame.

FNU used three singles in the top of the sixth to push another run across to extend its lead to, 6-4.

Talladega fought to the bitter end in the bottom of the seventh when Arias leadoff with a single to third and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Oropeza blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence to make it a 6-4 game. Unfortunately, the next three hitters went down in order to end the Tornadoes' rally.

Talladega starter Jack Wood allowed five runs on six hits in 1.2 innings of work. Reliever Ramses Ortega pitched 5.1 strong innings allowing just one run on six hits while striking out seven in the process.