JACKSON, Miss. – Powered by a five-run fourth inning, the No. 2 Talladega College baseball team advanced with a 14-9 win over No. 3 Dillard University in the 2024 GCAC Baseball Championship tonight. With the win, the Tornadoes extended their winning streak to 13 games while improving to 34-15 while Dillard fell to 19-26.

Leading 5-4 heading into the bottom of the fourth, Talladega pushed five runs across on five hits. It all started when Darlin Fernandez laid down a bunt single to reach first. He later moved to second when Miguel Oropeza walked. Fernandez reached third when Nomar Garcia hit into a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners. Oropeza was out a second on the play.  Following a failed pick-off attempt at first, Fernandez was able to steal home to make it, 6-4. Still with one out and a man on first, Garcia registered back-to-back stolen bases to move to third and later scored off Isaac Guzman's RBI single to short to push the lead to 7-4 for the Tornadoes. Guzman moved into scoring position after stealing second.  He later came around to score off Jeriel Lamboy's single to left to make it, 8-4.

Following a Dillard pitching change, Lamboy stole second then moved to third off a ground out to short for out number. A balk allowed Lamboy to touch home and push the lead to, 9-4.  Talladega plated its 10^th run of the game when Jose Cruz singled to right field to score Eddie Velazquez from third following his triple to right field before the inning ended.

Dillard added a run in the sixth and two in the seventh to trial 10-7 but the Tornadoes tacked a run on in the bottom of the seventh to go up, 11-7.

Dillard was able to cut the lead to two as it plated a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to make it an 11-9 game. But Talladega added some insurance as it pushed three runs across in its half of the eighth to go up 14-9, which was enough to hold on for the victory.

Talladega as a team tallied seven stolen bases and three extra-base hits.

Lamboy was one of two Talladega hitters tonight to go 3-for-5 with three RBIs, three runs scored, and a triple. Teammate Fernandez also finished going 3-for-5 while adding an RBI and two runs scored.

Reliever Ramses Ortega picked up the win (3-4). He allowed three runs (two earned) over four innings of work while giving up five hits. Closer Juan De Dios earned his third save of the season while striking out a game-high three.

Talladega will face No. 5 Rust College on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the GCAC Baseball Tournament Semifinals.