HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A seven-run 10^th inning by the top team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) took a tie ballgame and turned it into a 9-3 loss as Alabama A&M (9-14, 9-9 SWAC) dropped their second straight to Jackson State (26-8, 20-0 SWAC) in an NCAA Division I baseball game on Saturday, May 1.
 
With that late surge, the final score is not indicative of the type of game it actually was as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Those would come on a ground out by junior outfielder Teddy Bridges (Montgomery, Ala.) and an RBI single by sophomore catcher Dillon Roop (New Market, Ala.).
 
It would be a margin they would maintain until the top of the fourth when Chenar Brown laced a one-out double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Chandler Dillard to cut it to 2-1.
 
Even having see their lead halved, A&M held to it until the top of the eighth when JSU's CJ Newsome roped a one-out triple to the right centerfield gap. Following a pitching change Ty Hill lofted a ball to center for a sacrifice fly to tie it up at 2-2.
 
The Bulldogs came agonizingly close to upsetting the top team in the SWAC landscape in the bottom of the ninth as they got a runner to third base with one out before a grounder to second took away the opportunity to win it without benefit of a hit. A fly out by the next batter then sent it to extra innings.
 
That would be when the sleeping giant that was Jackson State woke up and hammered out six hits for a whopping seven runs in the top of the 10^th. It would be all it would take as Alabama A&M could only manage one run in the home half of the inning, an RBI double by Bridges, before falling 9-3.
 
Bridges fueled the Bulldogs' offense with a 3-for-5 day that included a pair of RBIs and a double while Roop was 2-for-5 with a double and RBI. Freshman third baseman Jalen Ford (Birmingham, Ala.) added a 2-for-5 day and a run scored to round out the top offensive performers.
 
Junior pitcher Peyton Baker (Acworth, Ga.) was masterful, throwing 7.1 innings and allowing just two runs and striking out five before giving way to senior Michael Hovermill (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) for the next 1.2 innings. He would surrender four runs and ring up a pair to take the loss and drop to 2-4.
 
Hill went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a double and a run scored while Newsome ripped a triple as part of a 2-for-4, two run day. Dillard added a pair of RBIs and Equon Smith finished at 2-for-5 with a run and RBI. Mario Lopez struck out seven in 6.2 innings and allowed just two runs, neither earned but would get a no-decision as the game remained tied during his stay. Instead, Steven Davila vulture the win to move to 5-0.
 
Alabama A&M wraps up the three-game series tomorrow, Sunday, May 2 on Senior Day. With impending weather, game time has been moved up an hour to 12 p.m. with Senior Day festivities set for 11:30 a.m.