MONTGOMERY, Ala. | After falling behind in the sixth inning, Alabama State answered with six runs combined in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away for a 9-5 win over Oakland at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex Friday night.

Alabama State (4-1) jumped ahead early in the home opener with three runs in the first inning, taking advantage of an Oakland (2-2) error and a hit to plate three for a 3-0 lead. Oakland answered with one in the fourth, before taking the lead with a three-run sixth inning.

After a pair of scoreless innings, Alabama State erupted for three in the seventh after a one-out walk to Hunter May started the inning. He advanced to third on a perfectly executed hit and run with Cameron Hearn putting runners on the corners, before Trenton Jamison tied the game up for the Hornets with a single to center. The score stayed that way until Cristopher DeGuzman tripled down the right field line to extend the lead to 6-4.

After Oakland scored a run in the top of the eighth inning, the Hornets scored three more in the eighth after Jabronski Williams started the inning with a triple to left center. He scored on a Santiago Garcia single through the right side that pushed the lead to 7-5, before the Hornets added a run on a Hearn single up the middle and a Jamison infield single for the final margin.

Williams led four Alabama State players with four hits, including Garcia, Hearn and Jamison. Meanwhile, Jeremy Rivera (2-0) came on in relief of starter Jacknell Guzman in the sixth inning and went 3.1 innings and allowed just one (unearned) on one hit and struck out three.

Alabama State and Oakland play game two of the series Saturday night at 6 pm at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

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