MONTGOMERY, Ala.| Alabama State led most of the game until a ninth inning home run off the bat of Samford's Towns King gave the Bulldogs a 6-5 win in the home opener for Alabama State at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex on Tuesday night.

Alabama State (1-3) got on the board in the first inning with five runs as the two teams combined for six total runs. Samford (4-0) got on the board in the top of the first inning before Alabama State responded with their first run off the bat of Ian Matos (Toa Alta, PR) as he singled to left to tie the game at 1-all. They would take the lead on a Chris Lewis (Alabaster, Ala.) sacrifice fly and extend the lead on a two-run triple from Corey King (Lithonia, Ga,) to take a 4-1 lead. They would add their final run of the inning when King scored on a passed ball.

Samford added a run in the third to trim the deficit to 5-2 before the two teams went scoreless over the next four innings. The Bulldogs were able to put a pair of runs up on the board off reliever Kyler McIntosh (Columbus, Ind.) in the top of the eighth to trim the deficit to 5-4 before the home run off the bat of King, his fourth of the season off Payton Harris (Hattiesburg, Miss.).

Harris (0-1) suffered the loss in relief with one inning of work with a pair of strikeouts. Meanwhile, Adiel Melendez (Miami, Fla.) went seven strong innings in the start allowing just two runs (one earned) off three hits. Alabama State collected seven hits on the day with Trenton Jamison (Atlanta, Ga.) picking up a pair.

Up Next
Alabama State returns to action on Wednesday afternoon on the road at Alabama. First pitch is scheduled for 3 pm on the SEC Network+.

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