HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ^__ The Alabama A&M baseball team held a 9-8 lead heading into the top of the final inning, before allowing four runs in the ninth in a 12-10 loss to Bethune-Cookman on Thursday afternoon at Bulldog Baseball Field.

The loss puts A&M at 11-16 overall and 2-8 in SWAC play, while the Wildcats move to 17-13 overall and 8-2 in conference play with the win.
 
Bethune-Cookman took the final lead with a trio of runs in the ninth, highlighted by a pair of RBI doubles and a sacrifice fly, before the Chandler Stocking drove home Chevalier Dorris for the last run in the loss.
 
A&M's Dimitri Stamataplous (0-1) pitched the final 1.2 innings, picking up the loss by allowing four runs off two hits and walking three.
 
Jackson Hall started on the mound and faced five batters and allowed four runs in the first. Meanwhile, Tyler Campbell threw for five innings behind Hall, fanning a pair of batters and surrendering three runs and nine hits, followed by Anthony Mateo who worked for 2.1 innings and allowed one hit and one run.
 
The Wildcats started the scoring by taking a four-run lead in the first, while A&M responded in the bottom of the second to take its first lead of the game.
 
Stocking started the inning with a walk and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball before scoring on the next at-bat off an RBI from Blake Martin. After a single later from Devin Tonkins, Martin scored on a throwing error, while Tonkins scored on a balk. Dorris homered with a two-run, two out bomb to right field for the last two runs of the inning to gain a 5-4 lead.
 
After a pair of runs from Bethune-Cookman in the top of the fourth, Tommy Easley drove in two runs on a triple for A&M to gain a 7-6 lead, however the Wildcats tied the game in the fifth before taking an 8-7 lead on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
 
The Bulldogs battled back again in the bottom half of the frame, as Myles Jackson loaded the bases with a bunt single after a walk from Dorris and Easley was hit by a pitch. Stocking drove in a run off a sacrifice fly to center, followed by a bunt squeeze by Martin to score Easley for the 9-8 lead heading into the final two innings.
 
Dorris and Jalen Ford both led the team at the plate with a pair of hits each, while Dorris scored a game-high four times. A&M pounded out nine hits on the day and left six runners on base in the loss.
 
Manny Souffrain led Bethune-Cookman from the plate with three hits and three RBI, while four other Wildcats earned multiple hits in the contest.

The Bulldogs and Wildcats play the second game of the series on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 12 noon.
 
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