BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama A&M (0-4, 0-0 SWAC) took the early lead but could not hold off Alabama-Birmingham (4-2, 0-0 C-USA) as they dropped a 9-2 decision in an NCAA Division I baseball game on Saturday, February 27.
The Bulldogs would come out strong early on as they produced back-to-back singles in the first before advancing runners to second and third on an error and a stolen base. That allowed them to capitalize when freshman outfielder
Janmikell Bastardo (Fort Myers, Fla.) reached on an error and both runners scampered home for a 2-0 lead.
Both teams would be shutdown over the next two innings as neither would register a hit, something that would change dramatically in the bottom of the third. UAB would use a leadoff walk followed by a one out triple from centerfielder Jess Davis to halve the lead before Thomas Johnston doubled him home to tie it in the next at bat.
With Johnston on third as a result of an error and a runner on second on a fielder's choice, J Paul Fullerton singled up the middle to put UAB ahead 4-2. The fourth would see a pair of 1-2-3 innings and not much more in the top of the fifth before the Blazers constructed a pair of runs in the home half of the inning to extend to 6-2.
They would add a seventh run on a Davis homerun in the sixth and two more in the bottom of the eighth before closing out the 9-2 victory.
Sophomore catcher
Dillon Roop (New Market, Ala.) led A&M with a double in four at bats while senior shortstop
Pierre Brewton (Madison, Ala.) went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Sophomore third baseman
Trevor Berkemeyer (North Las Vegas, Nev.) added the other run scored and a stolen base with senior pitcher
Michael Hovermill (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) went 5.1 innings, allowing seven runs to fall to 0-1.
Davis went 2-for-5 with a triple and homerun and two runs scored while Johnston was 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs to pace the Blazers. Fullerton rounded out the top offensive performers with a pair of RBIs and Tyler O'Clair threw seven innings of three-hit ball, striking out eight to improve to 2-0.
The Bulldogs wrap up the three game set with UAB tomorrow, Sunday, February 28. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Jerry D. Young Memorial Field in Birmingham.
