BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — Erick Almonte drove in four runs with a third-inning grand slam and Jose Fernandez added a solo home run as Bethune-Cookman rallied for a 7-6 victory over Grambling on Thursday afternoon at Jerry D. Young Memorial Field.

The Tigers jumped to a 6-0 lead in the first inning, but the Wildcats chipped away. Fernandez homered in the second, and Almonte’s blast in the third tied the game. Bethune-Cookman took the lead in the fifth on a throwing error that allowed an unearned run.

Harbersting Abreu earned the win, allowing five hits and one earned run over seven innings with three strikeouts. Pablo Torres tossed two scoreless innings of relief. Grambling’s Payton Allen and Rafael Capistran combined for five scoreless innings, but the Tigers’ offense managed only eight hits and did not score after the opening frame.

Grambling fell to 22-30, while Bethune-Cookman improved to 38-19. Trey Bridges went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Grambling, and Charles Ashe drove in a run. The Wildcats’ victory clinched the Southwestern Athletic series after splitting the previous two games.