Box Score / For the first time in its baseball history, Alabama A&M has a victory over its crosstown rivals, the UAH Chargers. The Bulldogs rallied from an 8-3 deficit with five runs in the eighth, including a grand slam home run by Marcus Spencer, and a solo shot in the ninth, a walk-off drive that cleared the scoreboard by Kency Duarte for a 9-8 victory Tuesday at Bulldog Field. Grant Mattix gritted out a complete game performance on the mound to gain the win for A&M.
The Chargers stormed to a 5-0 lead when Ryan McCrory hit a two-run homer in the third, and a solo shot by Shannon Anderson and a two-run single by Jordan Parker in the fourth. Anderson would add another solo shot in the top of the seventh to account for UAH's sixth run.
Alabama A&M scratched its way back in to the game with single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. In the fifth, Fabian Harper's sacrifice fly drove in a run, and LaDale Hayes had an RBI ground out in the sixth. The Bulldogs scored in the seventh without the benefit of a hit when Diego Lopez reached with two outs on a throwing error and Spencer plated a run to make the score 6-3.
The Chargers bounced back and seemed to salt the game away with two runs in the top of the eighth. McCrory tripled down the right field line driving in a run and then scored on Nick Huckaby's gapper to left center.
Then came the Bulldog rally.
Bernard McKinney opened the frame with a single to center and advance to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run single by Hayes with one out. Hayes and McKinney then completed a double-steal of second base and home plate to make the score 8-4.
Robert Scott and J.T. Thomas followed the double-steal with a walk and a bunt single, respectively, to load the bases for Spencer, who hit an 0-1 fast ball over the left field fence to tie the game.
Mattix worked a perfect ninth to set up the game-winning hit and maintain the momentum on the Bulldogs side. After McKinney flied out to center field, Duarte stepped up with his heroics for the win.
Alabama A&M is now 9-15 on the season heading to a key SWAC showdown at Alcorn State this weekend, while UAH falls to 21-9 on the season.
