UAPB Baseball Falls to Alabama A&M in Season Opener

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas – An explosive offensive output was not enough for UAPB on Friday. The Golden Lions plated six runs, but could not hold the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at bay, and were defeated 10-6.

Jordan Jones (0-1) came out of the bullpen for UAPB and took the loss. Peyton Niemann was a bright spot for the Golden Lions, coming out of the bullpen as well and throwing 3.2 innings, giving up one run on no hits, with three walks and three strikeouts.

Lawrence Noble led the way offensively for the Golden Lions, going 1-for-3 in the ballgame with a home run and an RBI. Gavin Terry provided a standout performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Donovan Noble also contributed, going 1-for-3 for UAPB with a double.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Trailing 1-0, the Golden Lions first put runs on the board in the first inning. UAPB managed to push across two runs in the inning.

The Golden Lions then held the Bulldogs scoreless before expanding their lead in the third inning. UAPB picked up a run on Noble’s leadoff home run, which brought the score to 3-1 in favor of the Golden Lions.

UAPB’s lead had disappeared once the fifth inning arrived and turned into a 6-3 Alabama A&M advantage, when the Golden Lions cut that deficit to 6-4.

UAPB held the Bulldogs off the board before tying it up in the seventh. The Golden Lions scored twice, with one run coming across on freshman Melachi Jefferies’ 2-out single, tying the score at 6-6. Alabama A&M then scored four times over the remaining two innings to break the tie and grab the 10-6 win.

GAME NOTES
» UAPB’s highest scoring inning was the seventh, when it pushed two runs across.
» UAPB pitchers limited Alabama A&M to just 2-for-10 (.200) with runners in scoring position.
» UAPB pitchers faced 49 Alabama A&M hitters in the game, allowing seven ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out nine.
» Noble led the Golden Lions at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI.