HOUSTON - The Alabama State baseball team fell 5-3 to UC-Irvine in the Major League Baseball Urban Invitational in the season opener for both teams.

Alabama State battled back from 2-0 and 5-1 deficits but could not take the lead against the Anteaters. ASU scored runs in both the eighth and ninth innings, and ended the game with the runners on second and third.

“I thought we played fairly well and competed well,” Alabama State head coach Mervyl Melendez said. “We've got to minimize the errors. Whenever you make four errors, you will not win many games. I thought we battled. I thought (starting pitcher Ron) Frost wasn't on top of his game, but he did a good job once he got settled in. I took him out because of pitch count. Our relief pitching did an outstanding job. Overall, I like the effort, and I like where we are heading.”

Trailing 2-0 after the opening inning, the Hornets took advantage of a UC-Irvine error to score in the second inning. After Leo Rojas reached on an error and stole second, Manny Rodriguez drove him home with RBI single to left to cut the deficit to 2-1.

After falling behind 5-1, Alabama State began its late-game rally in eighth inning. Marcus Swint lined a one-out double high off the left field wall and scored on  Derrick Sanders' RBI single, cutting the ASU deficit to 5-2.

In the ninth, Emmanuel Marrero and Jordan Mims both reach on walks to open the inning. After Mims was forced at second, Einar Muniz' sacrifice fly drove in Marrero. Rodriguez then laced a double down the left field line to put runners in scoring position. However, Waldyvan Estrada fouled out to end the game.

Rodriguez and Swint each had two hits for the Hornets, who will face Grambling State Saturday at 11 a.m. at Minute Maid Park.

“I hope our team is known for battling back and leaving every ounce of energy they have on the field,” Melendez said. “All you can ask for at the end is to have a chance and an opportunity to win or tie the ball game.  We had that in the last inning. We were a base hit away from tying the ball game and going to extra innings. If we put two good hits together at the end, we have a good chance of winning. UC-Irvine played very well, and that's the difference in the ball game.”