JACKSON, Miss. – Alabama A&M (7-29, 4-15 SWAC) held on until the ninth inning and then dropped a narrow 3-2 decision against Jackson State (20-21, 8-11 SWAC), on Friday, April 29 in an NCAA Division I baseball game.

The Tigers would waste no time getting on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning with Jatavis Melton scoring on a wild pitch for a 1-0 advantage. The Bulldogs would respond immediately in the top of the second inning as junior third baseman Jared Tribett (Lumberton, Miss.) hit a homerun to left field to even the game, 1-1.

JSU would answer in the bottom of the inning with Marcus Atterberry signaling to center field and brought home El'Rico Riley to once again take the lead by one. Pitching would rule until the top of the fourth inning until the Bulldogs responded loudly as graduate right fielder Tim Dixon (Debary, Fla.) homered down the left field line to tie the game 2-2.

The score would be unbothered by both teams for the next four innings until the Tigers responded in the bottom of the ninth and final inning. Ty Hill would advance on a balk and Devontae Rhodes would score on the balk to secure the narrow 3-2 victory.
 
Atterberry led Jackson State with a 1-for-3 day and an RBI while Melton and Riley added a run each. Nikelle Galatas started and threw nine innings allowing two runs while striking out nine to move to 3-2. 

Tribett led the Bulldogs with a 2-for-4 day that included a homerun along a RBI and a run scored while Dixon was 1-for-3 with an RBI, home run and a run scored. Sophomore pitcher Evan Crenshaw (Memphis, Tenn) threw two innings allowing two earned runs while striking out four to fall to 2-2.
 
AAMU will return to the field tomorrow, Saturday, April 30 for the second game of the series against JSU with a 3 p.m. first pitch at Braddy Field in Jackson, Mississippi.