Albany State leaves chances, falls 5-4 at Lane

JACKSON, Tenn. — One day after everything went right, almost nothing did.

Albany State’s bats, which had roared to life with 42 runs and 41 hits in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep, fell silent at the worst possible moments Sunday afternoon. And when the Golden Rams finally ran out of chances, Lane made sure there would be no more.

A solo home run from Lane third baseman Jermaine Purvis in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 4-4 tie and lifted the Dragons to a 5-4 win, salvaging the final game of the three-game series at Jack Martin Field.

The contrast from Saturday couldn’t have been sharper.

Less than 24 hours after overwhelming Lane pitching with wins of 12-10 and 30-5, Albany State (16-11) managed just four runs — and left far more on the table.

“We had the bases loaded six times in nine innings and did not score one run,” head coach Scot Hemmings said. “We lined out a couple times and had some tough luck today.”

The numbers told the story.

Albany State collected nine hits and drew seven walks, putting traffic on the bases throughout the game, but stranded 13 runners and repeatedly came up empty in key situations.

And while the offense stalled, Lane waited.

The Golden Rams actually struck first, getting an RBI double from Luke Addison in the third inning and later pulling even behind a two-run single from freshman shortstop Cam Houston in the seventh that tied the game at 4-4.

Westover grad Arin Chevers added a solo home run — his third of the weekend — and Isaiah Haygood chipped in two hits as Albany State did just enough offensively to stay within reach.

Just not enough to pull away.

Lane had built its early lead with a four-run fourth inning, highlighted by extra-base hits from Purvis and Trey Babbitt, before the Golden Rams clawed their way back into the game.

That set the stage for the eighth.

With one swing, Purvis ended it.

His solo shot to center field gave Lane a 5-4 lead, and this time Albany State had no answer, going quietly in the ninth to close out a game that felt like it slipped away inning by inning.

Lost in the result was a strong outing from Samuel Crew, who worked five innings and allowed four runs — only three earned — while keeping Albany State within striking distance.

“Sam Crew threw the ball well today but did not have the run support that we produced yesterday,” Hemmings said.

That, more than anything, was the difference.

Saturday was about execution. Sunday was about missed opportunities.

Now, the Golden Rams must turn the page quickly.

After back-to-back road trips to Florida and Tennessee, Albany State returns home to host a red-hot Columbus State team Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Albany State West, before opening a three-game SIAC series against Clark Atlanta later in the week.

Saturday’s games against Clark Atlanta have been designated Little League Day, offering a chance for a reset — and perhaps a return to the offensive rhythm that was there just one day earlier.