Knights take series from Huston-Tillotson
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 2 | 6 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 2 |
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | X | 9 | 12 | 1 |
|
SUNO KNIGHTS |
SERIES RESULT |
HT RAMS |
|
10-9 Overall 5-6 HBCUAC West |
2 – 1 KNIGHTS WIN SERIES |
19-15 Overall 7-5 HBCUAC |
|
GAME 1 (3/21) SUNO 2, HT 0 |
GAME 2 (3/21) HT 4, SUNO 2 |
GAME 3 (3/22) SUNO 9, HT 6 |
|
VENUE: Wesley Barrow Stadium · New Orleans, LA DATES: March 21–22, 2026 |
They came to New Orleans riding a .500 conference record and left with a series victory and a renewed sense of purpose. The Southern University at New Orleans Knights won two of three against the Huston-Tillotson Rams at Wesley Barrow Stadium this weekend, claiming the series 2-1 and improving to 10-9 overall and 5-6 in the HBCUAC West Division.
Christopher Nunez delivered a gem in the series opener, shutting out the Rams on two hits over seven innings in a 2-0 complete-game shutout. HT bounced back in game two, scoring four runs off SUNO starter Darrin Magee in a 4-2 win behind Weston Bailey's complete game. But SUNO answered with authority in Sunday's finale, controlling the game wire-to-wire and pulling away from the Rams 9-6 in a wild nine-inning affair capped by a five-run seventh-inning explosion.
The series win gives SUNO crucial momentum heading into next weekend's conference series against Wiley University, while HT drops to 19-15 overall and 7-5 in the HBCUAC.
|
GAME 1 · MARCH 21, 2026 · SUNO 2, HUSTON-TILLOTSON 0 |
Christopher Nunez was masterful from the first pitch. The right-hander held the Rams scoreless through seven complete innings, surrendering only two hits while striking out four batters in a 2-0 shutout that set the tone for the entire series. SUNO manufactured both of its runs through timely contact and aggressive baserunning: Dylan Jimenez plated Darion Wallace with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, and Enrique Herazo Jr. singled home Avery Spriggs in the fifth. Nunez never allowed HT to string anything together, walking none and throwing a crisp 85 pitches. HT starter Ethan Walker (L, 5-2) kept the Knights off the board deep into the game but ran out of runway, allowing both earned runs across six innings.
LINE SCORE — GAME 1
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
|
SUNO Knights |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
X |
2 |
6 |
0 |
|
HT Rams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
KEY MOMENTS
|
4th Inn. |
JIMENEZ BREAKS THE ICE With one out, Darion Wallace reached on a single and stole second. Christian Soto followed with a base hit to put runners at the corners, and Dylan Jimenez lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Wallace, giving SUNO the 1-0 lead and setting the tone for an efficient offensive afternoon. |
|
5th Inn. |
HERAZO JR. DELIVERS THE INSURANCE RUN Avery Spriggs doubled to right-center to begin the fifth and advanced to third on a groundout. Enrique Herazo Jr. followed with a single to catcher — scoring Spriggs and extending the lead to 2-0, giving Nunez all the cushion he would need the rest of the way. |
|
Full Game |
NUNEZ LOCKS IT DOWN Nunez retired seven of the final eight Rams he faced, never allowing HT to manufacture a rally. He faced just 23 batters in seven innings and logged the cleanest outing by any pitcher in the series. The performance instantly shifted the series' momentum into SUNO's corner. |
|
GAME 2 · MARCH 21, 2026 · HUSTON-TILLOTSON 4, SUNO 2 |
The Rams responded with a complete game of their own. Weston Bailey went all seven innings, scattering seven hits, walking three, and striking out seven in a 4-2 HT victory that leveled the series at one apiece. SUNO starter Darrin Magee was tagged early — walking five in two innings before giving way to Luis Landeros — and HT capitalized on the free passes in the third inning with a three-run frame. Payton Johnson added a solo home run to left in the sixth to stretch the lead. SUNO kept punching back, with Kyler Shepherd's RBI double making it 3-1 in the third and Donovan Hill's sacrifice fly cutting the deficit to 4-2, but Bailey was never in serious jeopardy the rest of the way.
LINE SCORE — GAME 2
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
|
HT Rams |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
|
SUNO Knights |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
7 |
0 |
KEY MOMENTS
|
3rd Inn. |
GARZA SINGLES HOME TWO — RAMS GRAB 3-0 LEAD After Magee walked four of the first seven batters he faced, HT loaded the bases with one out. Trey Garza slapped a two-run single to right, scoring Tucker Allen and Kadarien Harris. Payton Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly — suddenly it was 3-0 Rams and Magee's afternoon was over. |
|
3rd Inn. |
SHEPHERD ANSWERS FOR SUNO SUNO clawed back one run in the bottom of the third when Kyler Shepherd doubled to center field, scoring Enrique Herazo Jr. to make it 3-1. The Knights threatened to add more but Bailey settled in and stranded two runners. |
|
6th Inn. |
JOHNSON GOES DEEP — GAME OVER After Donovan Hill's sacrifice fly in the sixth cut HT's lead to 4-2, Payton Johnson had already answered in the top half with a solo home run to left field on a 1-0 count. That insurance run proved decisive as Bailey cruised through the final inning to complete his strongest start of the conference season. |
|
GAME 3 · MARCH 22, 2026 · SUNO 9, HUSTON-TILLOTSON 6 |
With the series on the line, the Knights delivered their most complete and dramatic performance of the weekend. SUNO starter Dylan Jimenez was dominant through seven innings — allowing just two earned runs on solo home runs from Josh Wilk and Payton Johnson — while the Knights built their lead methodically from the very first inning. The game turned into a blowout in the bottom of the seventh inning, when SUNO erupted for five runs on five hits and a string of passed balls, turning a three-run HT lead into a commanding 9-2 advantage. Jhemmal Geraldo drove in three runs across the game, Danny Aleaga Fonseca delivered a key RBI single in the seventh, and Christian Soto crushed a two-RBI pinch-hit single to put the game out of reach. HT rallied for three in the eighth and one more in the ninth, cutting the final margin to 9-6, but SUNO never relinquished the lead and the bullpen — Bryce Sanchez and Mikel Black — held on.
LINE SCORE — GAME 3
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
HT Rams |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
10 |
2 |
|
SUNO Knights |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
X |
9 |
12 |
1 |
KEY MOMENTS
|
1st Inn. |
SHEPHERD TRIPLES — GERALDO DRIVES HIM IN Kyler Shepherd tripled to left-center to lead off the series finale. Jhemmal Geraldo followed with a sacrifice fly to left to plate Shepherd, giving SUNO an immediate 1-0 lead and putting the crowd on notice that the Knights came ready to play. |
|
3rd Inn. |
WILK HOMERS — GERALDO ANSWERS AGAIN After SUNO extended to 2-0 on a Geraldo RBI groundout in the third, HT fired back immediately when Josh Wilk led off with a solo home run to left field, cutting the lead to 2-1 and injecting life into the Rams' dugout. |
|
5th Inn. |
GERALDO AND JIMENEZ PUSH LEAD TO 4-1 Peyton Strahan walked and advanced to second on a passed ball. Kyler Shepherd drew a free pass to put runners at second and third. Jhemmal Geraldo then singled to left to score Strahan, and Dylan Jimenez followed with a sacrifice groundout to plate Shepherd — extending the SUNO lead to 4-1 and giving Jimenez a comfortable cushion to work with on the mound. |
|
7th Inn. |
THE FIVE-RUN EXPLOSION — SERIES CLINCHER The knockout blow. SUNO entered the frame already leading 4-2 after HT had cut the lead with a Payton Johnson home run in the top of the seventh. The Knights answered with a five-run explosion to bury the Rams for good. Danny Aleaga Fonseca singled in a run to make it 5-2. Three wild passed balls off HT catcher Danny Hernandez plated two more. Then Christian Soto, pinch hitting, drilled a two-RBI single to right — and suddenly it was 9-2 Knights, and the series was decided. |
|
8th–9th |
HT RALLIES, FALLS SHORT Down 9-2, HT mounted a valiant late charge. In the eighth, RBI hits and three consecutive walks by Jaden Corzine, Josh Wilk, and Kadarien Harris plated three runs to make it 9-5. They added a final run in the ninth on a Tucker Allen error and a double-play groundout. But the deficit was simply too steep, and Mikel Black got the final out to seal the 9-6 SUNO series-clinching victory. |
|
IN THE DUGOUT — COACH OLEN PARKER |
|
"Winning a series is never easy, and we have a tough club in Huston-Tillotson. But I think our guys showed real character this weekend. Game one set the tone — Nunez gave us everything we needed and more. When your starting pitcher competes at that level, it makes everything else easier." — Olen Parker, Jr. · Head Coach, SUNO Baseball |
|
"Game two was a tough one. Weston Bailey was outstanding for them, and we couldn't solve him. That's baseball. What matters is how you respond, and I thought our guys came back to the park Sunday with the right attitude and the right edge. We put that loss away and focused on what was in front of us." — Olen Parker, Jr. · Head Coach, SUNO Baseball |
|
"That seventh inning on Sunday — that's who we want to be. Five runs, multiple big at-bats, guys stepping up off the bench. Aleaga Fonseca, Christian Soto coming in cold and delivering — that's depth. Every man on this roster trusts his preparation, and it showed when we needed it most." — Olen Parker, Jr. · Head Coach, SUNO Baseball |
|
"Dylan Jimenez competed for seven innings in the biggest game of our series and gave up two home runs but never lost his composure. He kept making pitches when it mattered, kept us in front, and gave our offense time to do what it did in the seventh. That's the mental toughness we've been building." — Olen Parker, Jr. · Head Coach, SUNO Baseball |
|
"Wiley is next, and we're not taking a breath. We need to clean up our command — we gave away too many free passes this series and can't do that against a quality opponent. But if we pitch ahead in counts and play our brand of baseball, we'll be ready. The West Division race is not over, and this group knows exactly what's at stake." — Olen Parker, Jr. · Head Coach, SUNO Baseball |
|
TOP PERFORMERS |
|
SUNO KNIGHTS |
|
HT RAMS |
|
KYLER SHEPHERD CF · Series G1: 1-3, R, SB | G2: 2-4, 2B, RBI | G3: 3-7, 3R, 3B |
|
PAYTON JOHNSON DH · Series G2: 1-2, HR, 2 RBI | G3: 3-5, 2R, HR — 3 XBH on weekend |
|
|
|
|
|
DYLAN JIMENEZ P · Game 3 (W, 2-1) 7.0 IP · 7 H · 2 ER · 1 BB · 5 SO — Series clincher |
|
WESTON BAILEY P · Game 2 (W, 4-2) 7.0 IP (CG) · 7 H · 2 ER · 3 BB · 7 SO |
|
|
|
|
|
JHEMMAL GERALDO 3B · Game 3 2-4 · 3 RBI · SAC — drove in SUNO's first three runs |
|
TREY GARZA 3B · Game 2 1-3 · 2 RBI · 2B — the decisive blow in the 3rd inning |
|
|
|
|
|
CHRISTOPHER NUNEZ P · Game 1 (W, 1-1) 7.0 IP (CG SHO) · 2 H · 0 ER · 0 BB · 4 SO |
|
JOSH WILK 2B · Game 3 2-3 · HR · 2 RBI · 1 BB — only HT XBH in series finale |
|
|
|
|
|
ENRIQUE HERAZO JR. SS · Games 1–2 G1: 2-3, RBI | G2: 2-3, R — delivered clutch hit to make it 2-0 |
|
KADARIEN HARRIS RF · Game 3 Walk · RBI (8th inning) — part of the late three-run HT rally |
|
SERIES PITCHING SUMMARY |
|
SUNO KNIGHTS
|
|
HUSTON-TILLOTSON RAMS
|
|
UP NEXT — WILEY UNIVERSITY |
The Knights return to action next weekend when they host Wiley University in a crucial HBCUAC West Division series. SUNO enters the matchup at 5-6 in conference play — still within striking distance of the West Division lead — and a series victory over the Wildcats would move the Knights firmly into postseason contention.
Coach Parker's marching orders heading into Wiley week are clear: command the strike zone, limit the free passes that plagued the pitching staff in this series, and let the offense work counts the way it did in Sunday's decisive seventh inning. With Kyler Shepherd swinging a hot bat at the top of the order and Jhemmal Geraldo emerging as a dangerous run-producer in the middle of the lineup, SUNO has the offensive pieces to make noise in any ballpark.
The 2025 HBCUAC Runners-Up have not forgotten what they are capable of. The West Division race is far from decided, and the Knights are playing their best baseball at the right time of year. The rest of the West Division has been put on notice.
|
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AT NEW ORLEANS KNIGHTS BASEBALL · HBCUAC WEST DIVISION 10-9 OVERALL · 5-6 CONFERENCE |