HUNTSVILLE, Ala.- Opening the 2022 campaign at home, Alabama A&M (0-1, 0-0 SWAC) fell to Milwaukee (1-0, 0-0 Horizon) by a 16-9 decision in an NCAA Division I baseball game on Friday, February 18.
 
Both teams would be scoreless until the Panthers would get on the board in the second inning with eight runs off 11 hits, including RBI doubles from Tommy Benson and Luke Seidel to take the 8-0 lead. From there Milwaukee would extend their lead and add six more runs in the third as Mitchell Buban led off with a homerun and Seidel followed with two RBIs.
 
The Bulldogs then chalked up their first run of the afternoon as freshman infielder Jalen Ford (Birmingham, Ala.) singled home a run and graduate outfielder Tim Dixon (Debary, Florida) laced a triple off the center field wall to drive home two more and cut it to 14-3. Heading into fifth the Panthers would then tack on two runs to take their biggest lead of the day with 16-3.
 
Following a scoreless sixth inning AAMU would then capitalize as Dixon walked with the bases loaded to bring home freshman Nemo Wright and close the gap to 16-4 before changing the course of the game the following inning. That frame would see junior utility Jared Tribett (Lumberton, Miss.) jacked a leadoff home run and Dixon had an RBI double as part of a 5-0 run inning that cut it to 16-9.
 
The Bulldogs would close the top of the ninth inning with a bang as freshman Avery Seaton (Huntsville, Ala.) delivered a perfect inning before UWM wrapped up the 7-run decision at the bottom of the frame.
 
Buban led the Panthers with a 5-of-7 day that included a homerun, three RBIs and a pair of runs scored while Seidel was 2-of-6 with two runs, a double and four RBIs. Conner Goodman and Mark Connelly each went two-for-five with a pair of RBIs and two runs and Zack Nogalski went three-for-five with two runs and an RBI to round out the top performers. Riley Frey threw seven innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out 12 to start the season 1-0.
 
Dixon delivered a stellar Bulldog debut as he went two-for-four with a walk, a triple, homerun and five RBIs while Tribett added his first career homerun. Sophomore pitcher Tyler Campbell started and suffered the loss to fall to 0-1 while graduate pitcher Jason Marono (Miami, Fla.) threw three scoreless innings and Seaton followed with three strikeout performances in his one inning of relief.
 
The Bulldogs are back in action tomorrow, Saturday, February 19 as they continue their battle against Milwaukee, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Bulldog Field.