JACKSON, Miss. - Alabama A&M (7-28, 4-14 SWAC) dropped a 9-8 decision against Tougaloo (10-33, 0-7 GCAC) in an NCAA Division I baseball game on Wednesday, April 27.
 
In the first inning AAMU would scratch the scoreboard as graduate designated hitter Tim Dixon (Debary, Fla.) scored for a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs would then respond in the bottom of the inning with a run each from Bradford Patton, Khilan Magee and Christian Borders to take the advantage by two. In the bottom of the third inning Patton would then homer to left center and take a 4-1 lead.
 
Alabama A&M would then answer in the top of the fourth inning as graduate center fielder Damani Thomas (Zellewood, Fla.) singled to right field and graduate right fielder Nemo Wright added a run to close the gap to two before Tougaloo responded in the bottom of the inning by registering three runs off four hits to increase their lead to 7-2.
 
The Bulldogs from Huntsville responded in the bottom of the fifth inning as junior Tommy Easley (Acworth, Ga.) singled through right side and freshman Devin Tonkins (Greensboro, N.C.) scored to cut the deficit by three. The score would remain that way until AAMU would then capitalize in the top of the seventh as Wright singled to right field and freshman second baseman Jalen Ford (Birmingham, Ala.) scored before Thomas singled to left field and Wright came home to narrow the score to 7-5.
 
Alabama A&M would then flip the switch in the top of ninth inning as Wright would sacrifice to right field and allow freshman left fielder Janmikell Bastardo (Fort Myers, Fla.) to come home before Thomas doubled to right center and freshman Brycen Hammonds (Madison, Ala.)  scored to tie the game at 7-7.
 
AAMU would then answer loudly in the top of the 10^th inning as Bastardo delivered a home run to left field to take the lead by one. Tougaloo would then respond in the bottom of the inning as La'Nas Torrey hit a sacrifice fly to center field and allowed Borders to score and close out the narrow 9-8 decision.
 
Borders led Tougaloo with a 2-of-3 day, two RBIs, a home run and three scored runs while Matt Jones went 2-of-6 with one RBI and a pair of scored runs. Bradford was 2-of-5 with an RBI and two scored runs. Simar Thomas threw two innings, allowing one earned run and struck out to move to 4-7.
 
Bastardo led AAMU with a 1-of-5 day, an RBI, a home run and two runs scored while Wright went 1-of-2, with two RBI and two scored runs and Thomas was 4-of-5 with three RBIs.  Freshman pitcher Jason Garcia (Miami, Fla.) threw 0.2 innings, striking out one and only allowing one earned run to fall to 0-2.
 
The Bulldogs will return to the field from Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1 as they head to Jackson State for a three-game series.