BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Having waited through five games and a nearly three-week layoff, Alabama A&M (1-5, 1-0 SWAC) head coach Elliott Jones was able to celebrate his first career victory with a convincing 9-2 decision over Alcorn State (3-5, 3-4 SWAC) in an NCAA Division I baseball game on Friday, March 19.
 
The Bulldogs would pick up a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly before a leadoff triple and a pair of doubles would help fuel a three-run rally that left them with a 4-0 advantage. From there the teams would combine for just five hits over the next four and a half innings.
 
That would be broken up by a solo run in the bottom of the seventh that came home on an error before the Braves notched a pair of runs on a bases loaded walk and a sac fly to cut it to 5-2 in the top of the eighth.
 
In the home half of the inning, however, A&M would put it away with four runs, highlighted by a three-run blast by freshman outfielder RJ Farrell (Madison, Ala.) to reach the eventual final margin of 9-2.
 
Farrell led the way for the Bulldogs with those three RBIs while freshman catcher Dylan Hall (Elkmont, Ala.) went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored to headline the offensive effort. On the mound, junior pitcher Jose Figueroa  (Toa Alto, Puerto Rico) threw seven shutout innings, striking out a whopping 12. He improves to 1-1 on the year.
 
Tristin Garcia went 3-for-5 with a double for ASU and Jamil Betancourt laced a triple for his one hit. Tyler Daniels and Tyler Smith each added an RBI and Jose Fernandez went seven innings, punching out 11 but allowing five runs, two earned, to fall to 1-3.
 
Alabama A&M returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 20 for the middle game of a three-game set. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.