A&M Baseball splits with Alcorn on a chilly Saturday afternoon.

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NORMAL – Game one started off exciting as the Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division rivals engaged in some pregame activities.

The Alcorn State Braves would strike first with a run in the top half of the first. A&M responded with a run of their own when Austin Husley connected on his first hit to score Patrick Dodson.

A&M took the lead in the third when shortstop Julio Nunez scored after he got on after an error by Alcorn's second basemen.

From there the defense would step up for the Bulldogs as starting pitcher Joshua Freeman mowed down six Braves.

Extra innings would be needed to settle the first game as Alcorn tied the score at two all in the top of the ninth. The Braves then scored the game winning run to secure the first victory in the series 3-2.

Dodson led A&M going 2 for 3 at the plate with a run. As a team the Maroon & White totaled seven hits.

In the second contest AAMU opened the scoring with a run when Brandyn Crutcher hit a single to short to score Julio Nunez who advanced to first on his single.

Alcorn would take a 5-1 lead after plating two runs in the third and three in the fourth. The Bulldogs would not take it lying down as they inched back in the bottom of the fourth.

Dodson and outfielder Brandyn Crutcher crossed home plate when Utterback hit a single to centerfield and recorded a pair of runs batted in.

The scoring would continue with a run in the seventh and the eighth to give Alcorn a 7-4 lead.

After Jordan Friend homered in the seventh to move A&M closer at 7-5, it was the heroics of Julio Nunez that would help as he hit a game tying homerun over the left field wall in the ninth inning scoring pinch hitter Dustin Dhanani. In his next at bat Friend drew a walk then Crutcher hit a walk-off single that scored Friend and gave A&M their first conference win.

"We were down two and when the pitcher threw me a fast ball I stayed on top of it and drove it deep, said Nunez. "This was a team effort."

"I just wanted to do whatever it took to not let my team down," said Crutcher. "This is an unreal moment for me as it was my first walk off hit."

"We struggled a little in the first game but we also did some pretty good things. Our bats stayed hot but at times we hit right at people," said head coach Mitch Hill. "Joshua Freeman pitched really well in the first game; we just didn't hit enough to give him a win."

"In the second game we flip flop with Alcorn and was the team fighting back to get a win," Hill continued. "Scouting reports are out now in the conference, so teams in our division are well aware we are a better squad."

Crutcher led the team going 3 for 5 with a run and two RBI's. As a team A&M collected 12 hits and 27 putouts.

Relief pitcher Ryan Ahrens posted the win after going three innings striking out two.

The Eastern division foes will decide the series on Sunday, March 2, at 1 p.m. at Bulldog field.

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