BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alabama A&M (1-7, 0-0 SWAC) delivered an 11-9 decision at Alabama-Birmingham (7-3, 0-0 C-USA) in an NCAA Division I baseball game on Saturday, March 5.
 
In the first inning the Blazers would scratch the scoreboard as Josh Sears homered to right field to bring home Mathew Golda for a 2-0 lead. The Bulldogs would then respond in the top of the second inning as junior outfielder Teddy Bridges (Montgomery, Ala.) doubled to right to bring home sophomore catcher Dillon Roop (New Market, Ala.) to cut the lead to 2-1.
 
AAMU would continue their offensive run as freshman infielder Kylan Duncan (Huntsville, Ala.) tripled to left center for an RBI and Bridges scored a run to even the score to 2-2.
 
In the third inning, Alabama A&M would take the lead of the afternoon as freshman infielder Janmikell Bastardo (Fort Myers, Fla.) would hit a homerun for two RBIs and graduate outfielder Tim Dixon scored for a 4-2 advantage. The Blazers would then respond at the bottom of the third as Caleb Floyd homered to left center to trail by one, 4-3.
 
The Bulldogs would keep pushing in the top of the fourth as Duncan would advance on a wild pitch and bring home junior outfielder Jared Tribett (Lumberton, Miss.) before sophomore infielder Trevor Berkemeyer (North Las Vegas, Nev.) flied out to right field and Duncan scored for a 6-3 advantage.
 
AAMU would then take their biggest lead of the afternoon as Dixon would hit a homerun bringing home Ford and sophomore infielder Chandler Stocking (Midway, Utah) before Bridges singled to left for an RBI and Bastardo scored for a 10-3 advantage.
 
The Blazers would then answer in the bottom of the fourth as Golda tripled to right for two RBIs before Sears singled to right to bring home Golda to cut the lead to 10-6. In the home half of the inning Floyd would score a homerun to close the gap to 10-7.
 
AAMU would not have any offense in the top of the sixth but UAB would continue pressing the issue as Floyd would was hit by the pitcher to bring home Mullins before Brandon Willoughby had an RBI and Hall scored to cut the deficit to just one, 10-9.
 
It would stay that way until the eighth when the Bulldogs would score the final run of the inning as Stocking singled through left for an RBI and Duncan scored to extend the advantage to 11-9.
Neither team would affect the score in the ninth and final inning and the Bulldogs would secure their first win of the season.
 
Floyd led UAB with a 3-of-4 day, three RBIs, a homerun and three runs scored while Sears went 2-of-5 with two RBIs, one homerun and a scored run. Golda went 2-for-6 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored to round out the top performers. Brady Greene threw 3.2 innings, striking out four and only allowing one earned run while Jonah Smith suffered the loss to move to 1-1.
 
Dixon led the Bulldogs with a 3-of-5 day with three RBIs and a homerun and three runs while Bastardo went 1-of-3 with two RBIs, a homerun and two runs scored. Duncan was 3-of-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs. Junior pitcher Josue Torres (Cidra, Puerto Rico) threw 3.2 innings and Evan Crenshaw allowed three earned runs, striking out three to go to 1-0.
 
The Bulldogs are back in action tomorrow, Sunday, March 6 as they wrap up their three game series against Alabama-Birmingham. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Young Memorial Field.