MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama A&M (9-17, 9-12 SWAC) would come out of the first inning tied only to record one more hit the rest of the way as they fell 9-3 at Alabama State (22-17, 13-7 SWAC) in an NCAA Division I baseball game on Saturday, May 8.
 
Both teams would come out swinging the bat as sophomore shortstop Trevor Berkemeyer (North Las Vegas, Nev.) opened with a double before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt. It would be first and third with one out when senior catcher Dillon Roop (New Market, Ala.) singled up the middle to make it 1-0. Both Roop and junior outfielder Teddy Bridges then came around to score on a single by freshman catcher Dylan Hall (Elkmont, Ala.) for a 3-0 lead.
 
That would not last, however, as two singles and an error loaded the bases with one out in the home half of the inning for the Hornets. Hunter May then got them on the board with a sac fly before Chris Lewis tripled to right to tie it up at 3-3,
 
Alabama State would continue to percolate on offense in the second with a leadoff single and sac bunt followed by a Jabronski Williams double that gave them a one run lead. They would then double that lead to 5-3 on a throwing error before the Bulldogs got out of the inning with a fly out and ground out.
 
It would stay that way for the next three and a half innings as the clubs combined for just three hits in that time. That would change in the sixth with three singles and an error over the first four batters, a stretch that expanded ASU's lead to 8-3. They would tack on one more on a Lewis sac fly to push to a six-run lead before both team's offense's closed up shop with no hits over the final two and a half innings to close out the 9-3 final.
 
Hall led A&M with a pair of RBIs while Roop was 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Freshman pitcher Jason Marono (Miami, Fla.) started and went four innings, allowing five runs but only two earned as he fell to 0-2 on the season.
 
Trenton Jamison went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored to lead the Hornets while Lewis had three RBIs and a walk. Williams finished 2-for-5 with three runs and a pair of RBIs and May drove in the only other run to round out the offense. Jeremy Rivera went six innings, surrendering all three runs while striking out four to move to 3-0 and Ryan Velazquez pitched three scoreless and hitless innings with four strikeouts to earn his second save.
 
The Bulldogs wrap up the regular season tomorrow, Sunday, May 9 with a 1 p.m. first pitch against ASU in the series finale.