HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Interstat) — Anthony Mateo delivered a dominant bounce-back performance on the mound, and Colin Mason drove in four runs as Alabama A&M rallied from an early three-run deficit to defeat Alcorn State 10-3 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball game Friday at Bulldog Field.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, saw the host Bulldogs (4-13, 1-0 SWAC) erase a first-inning hole with a five-run fourth inning and pull away late to secure the conference opener.

Alcorn State (1-15, 0-1) stunned the home crowd in the top of the first, striking quickly against Alabama A&M starter Mateo. Rayfield Adams III led off with a double and, after a flyout, scored on a two-run home run to left field by Cooper Harris. The Braves added another double but could not extend the early 3-0 lead.

From there, Mateo settled in emphatically. The right-hander, coming off two difficult outings where he allowed nine earned runs over 12 innings, silenced the Braves’ bats for the next six frames. He finished with a line of seven innings pitched, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out five and walking none. His effort stabilized the game after the rocky start and allowed the Bulldogs’ offense time to mount a comeback.

The most important sequence of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning, which completely shifted momentum. Trailing 3-0, Alabama A&M loaded the bases with no outs via a walk, a hit-by-pitch and another walk against Alcorn State starter Jacob Wingard. After a popout, Brycen Hammonds was hit by a pitch to force in the Bulldogs’ first run, ending Wingard’s day.

Reliever Jose Cherena entered, but Mason greeted him with a two-run double to left field, tying the game at 3-3. Following a groundout, Miles Jackson delivered the decisive blow, a two-run double to left that scored Mason and Hammonds, giving Alabama A&M a 5-3 advantage it would not relinquish.

The Bulldogs added to their lead in the fifth on an RBI double by Tervell Johnson and a sacrifice fly from Mason. They put the game out of reach with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Mason added an RBI double in the seventh, finishing 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Johnson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Jackson contributed three hits and two RBIs.

Alcorn State’s offense was held in check after the first. Harris’s two-run homer accounted for the early damage, and Gavin Caston added a solo home run in the ninth inning off reliever Nick Espinola. The Braves managed nine hits total but went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

Espinola closed the game for Alabama A&M, allowing one run on two hits over the final two innings with three strikeouts.

The victory improved Alabama A&M’s record in all competitions to 4-13, while Alcorn State dropped its 15th game in its last 16 outings. The two teams are scheduled to continue their three-game SWAC series Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Field.