THE HILL | The Alabama A&M University baseball team closed out its two-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series with Southern on Sunday afternoon as the Bulldogs fell 9-8 in the opener and dropped the second game of the doubleheader, 11-2 in seven innings, at the Bulldog Baseball Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 1
Southern (23-23 overall, 15-11 SWAC) jumped out to a 1-0 lead with one run in the top of the first inning.
 
Alabama A&M (10-37, 2-24) answered in the bottom of the inning as Kylan Duncan, who reached on a one-out walk, scored on a sacrifice fly to left, and Desmore Joseph came across on a triple by Anderson. Anderson scored on an error to give the Bulldogs an early 3-1 lead.
 
The Jaguars took advantage of three walks in the fourth, tying the game at 3 with a pair of runs.
 
Southern broke the 3-all tie in the top of sixth, aided by a three-run homer by Cardell Thibodeaux, as the Jaguars grabbed a 9-3 advantage.
 
Alabama A&M got two runs back in the bottom of the frame, closing the gap to 9-5.
 
Anderson opened the inning with a base hit to left and with one out, moved to second on a walk to Jaiden Proper. Both runners came across to score on an Angel Rivera base hit to left.
 
The Bulldogs continued to play from behind, scoring one run in the seventh and two in the eighth to close the deficit to 9-8.
 
That would be as close as AAMU would get as Peyton Huff closed the door in the ninth to seal the victory.
 
GAME NOTES

• Alabama A&M finished with eight runs on 11 hits and stranded 10 on base
• AJ Anderson went 3-for-5, with two RBI and a pair of runs scored
• Desmore Joseph was 3-for-5, with two runs scored and one RBI
• Evan Hurlburt started for the Bulldogs, giving up one run on three hits, with one strikeout and one walk in two innings
• Raymond Clark (2-6), Edgar Rodriguez, Jordan Nolley and Charles Morris saw action out of the bullpen
• Southern finished with nine runs on nine hits, committed one error and left 11 on base
• Beny Bikar, KJ White and Cardell Thibiodeaux each recorded two hits
• Nick Luckett (10-3) picked up the win, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits, with four strikeouts and three walks in six innings
• Rashard Grace and Peyton Huff pitched in relief

 
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 2
Southern opened the scoring with one run in the top of the first inning to grab an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Jaguars added to the lead in the third, highlighted by a solo homer by Thibodeaux, extending the advantage to 3-0 and an inside the park homer by Jacoby Radcliff pushed the margin to 4-0 in the top of the fourth.
 
Southern blew the game wide open in the fifth, scoring five runs on five hits and took advantage of an error in stretching the lead to 9-0.
 
The Jaguars added one more run in the top of the sixth, pushing the margin to 10-0.
 
Alabama A&M got two runs back in the bottom of the frame as Isaac Castro doubled to begin the inning and scored on a Desmore Joseph single to left. Joseph scored when Braxton Brogan doubled to left center as the Bulldogs closed the gap to 10-2.
 
The Jaguars tacked on a run in the top of the seventh, taking an 11-2 lead.
 
GAME NOTES

• Alabama A&M finished with two runs on seven hits, committed two errors and left six on base
• Isaac Castro went 2-for-4, with one run scored
• Nick Espinola (0-9) took the loss, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits, with four strikeouts and a pair of walks in 4.2 innings
• Killian McLaughlin worked the final 2.1 innings in relief
• Southern finished with 11 runs on 14 hits and stranded 11 on base
• Ranard Grace (3-6) earned the win, giving up two runs on seven hits, fanning six and walking one in seven innings

 
UP NEXT  
Alabama A&M closes out its homestand with a three-game SWAC series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, beginning on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. from the Bulldog Baseball Field.
 
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