Albany State scores 42 runs, hits eight homers in sweep at Lane

JACKSON, Tenn. — There are days when a baseball team swings the bat well.

And then there are days like Saturday, when Albany State turned a doubleheader into a full-blown hitting clinic — the kind that leaves scorekeepers scrambling and opponents searching for answers that never come.

The Golden Rams didn’t just sweep Lane. They overwhelmed them.

Behind a late rally in Game 1 and an offensive avalanche in Game 2, Albany State rolled to a doubleheader sweep, winning 12-10 before erupting for a staggering 30-5 victory that featured 28 hits, five home runs and a third inning that bordered on historic.

“It was the first time in a long time that our hitters went to the plate with a plan and we executed our offense,” Albany State head coach Scot Hemmings said. “We had some errors in games one and two that led to a few runs, but our offense bailed us out today.”

If Game 1 was about resilience, Game 2 was about dominance.

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Albany State (16-10) needed every bit of its offense in the opener, rallying late to outlast Lane in a back-and-forth contest.

The Golden Rams jumped out early behind a two-run homer from Luke Addison, then extended the lead in the fourth inning when Arin Chevers launched a two-run shot and Addison added a two-run single as part of a four-run frame.

But Lane answered, scoring five runs in the bottom of the fourth and eventually taking an 8-6 lead in the seventh.

That’s when Albany State responded like a team beginning to find itself.

Addison delivered again in the eighth with a three-run homer to flip the game, and the Golden Rams added three more runs in the ninth to create separation.

Addison finished with three hits and seven RBIs, while Chevers added a homer and two RBIs. David Cooper doubled twice as part of a 13-hit effort that proved just enough.

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If the first game hinted at what was coming, the second game removed all doubt.

Albany State didn’t just get hot — it caught fire.

After scoring five runs in the first two innings, the Golden Rams broke the game wide open with a 16-run third inning, sending hitter after hitter to the plate in a relentless barrage that included multiple extra-base hits and home runs.

By the time the dust settled, Albany State had piled up 28 hits, with nearly every spot in the lineup contributing.

Cooper, a former Worth County standout, led the charge with two home runs and eight RBIs, finishing 4-for-6 at the plate.

Chevers, a Westover graduate, added a home run and drove in five runs. Luke Addison (Terrell Academy) homered and drove in three, while Isaiah Haygood (Valdosta) broke out of a slump with a three-hit day and a home run, knocking in four runs.

“Chevers and Addison had career days and Cooper seemed to find his early season swing again,” Hemmings said. “Isaiah Haygood, who has struggled most of the year, put together a three-hit day and another big home run. We will need Haygood down the stretch, so it’s nice to see him back at it.”

Even the supporting cast delivered.

Jaden Camp collected four hits, Perry Usher scored four runs, and Albany State’s lineup kept the pressure on from the first inning through the final out.

By the end, it was less a game and more a statement.

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And yet, amid the offensive fireworks, Hemmings’ message remained grounded.

“We need to finish strong Sunday and not have a slip up,” he said.

Because for all the runs, hits and home runs, the Golden Rams know what comes next matters just as much.

Albany State will look to complete the three-game sweep against Lane on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.

If Saturday was any indication, the bats — finally — have arrived