MONTGOMERY, Miss. (Interstat) — Alabama State (29-21) visits Alcorn State (4-41) on Saturday afternoon at Foster Baseball Field at McGowan Stadium in a Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup. The forecast calls for 86 degrees and cloudy.

The Hornets have dominated the series so far, winning the first two games: 6-2 on Friday and 15-11 on Thursday. Alabama State has won eight of its last 10 games overall, while Alcorn State has lost 11 of its last 12.

Players to watch

Alabama State right-hander Jorhan LaBoy has been a key contributor. In Friday’s win, he tossed three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. He was just as sharp May 3 at Texas Southern, throwing six innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts in an 8-3 victory. However, LaBoy struggled May 9 against Bethune-Cookman, giving up eight hits and five earned runs over 4⅔ innings in a 7-3 loss.

For Alcorn State, left-hander Kayden Sutton turned in a strong outing Friday despite the loss. He pitched 5⅓ innings, allowing only two hits and no earned runs while striking out nine. Sutton’s consistency has been elusive; he surrendered five earned runs in 1⅔ innings May 8 against Prairie View and has allowed at least five earned runs in three of his last five appearances.

Recent results

Alabama State’s offense broke out in Thursday’s 15-11 win, while the pitching staff held Alcorn State to two runs Friday. In that game, catcher Trey Callaway went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. The Hornets have also received solid relief work from Caio Araujo, who threw three scoreless innings Friday.

Alcorn State shortstop Chase Moore went 1-for-4 in Friday’s loss. The Braves’ last win came April 27, a 12-11 victory over Grambling that required a late rally. Since then, Alcorn State has dropped eight straight.

Projection

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Alabama State is projected to win 8-1, with a 91.1 percent probability of victory. The Hornets’ superior depth and recent form make them heavy favorites. Alcorn State will need another strong outing from Sutton and timely hitting to avoid a sweep.