JACKSON, Miss. (Interstat) — Diego Melendez went 4 for 5 with two home runs and five RBIs to lead Jackson State to a 12-6 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday evening at Braddy Field in Southwestern Athletic play.

Melendez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and added a three-run shot in the third as the Tigers (23-24) erased an early deficit. Hederick Torres contributed three hits and two RBIs for Jackson State.

Trae Burton pitched two innings of one-hit relief with no earned runs, while Kade Walker, Jaedeyn Edwards and Aaron Grant each threw a scoreless inning.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (22-32) had 14 hits but could not overcome Jackson State’s five-run third inning. Vinny Saumell went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, and Aaron Grant had two hits and an RBI.

The Golden Lions scored in the second, third and fourth innings, but the Tigers answered each time. Jackson State built a 10-6 lead after four innings and added two more runs in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Edwin Lemus Hudson Jr.

The win gave Jackson State a 2-1 series lead over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.