MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Interstat) — Alex Espaillat went 4 for 4 with three RBIs and Alabama State erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first inning to erase an early deficit and defeat Longwood 9-3 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.

The Hornets (8-7) avenged a lopsided loss from the previous night, responding immediately after the Lancers (12-4) struck for three runs in the top of the first. Jae’dan Carter opened the game with a double and later scored on a Jon Howard groundout to give Longwood a brief 3-0 lead.

Alabama State’s answer was swift and decisive in their half of the inning, sending 11 batters to the plate. The Hornets strung together five hits, a walk and a hit batter, capitalizing on productive outs to completely flip the game’s momentum. Miguel Oropeza and Trey Callaway scored on RBI singles from Devin Chandler and Jack Williams, respectively, to cut the lead to one. After a fielder’s choice, Espaillat delivered his first key hit, a single through the right side to tie the game. A sacrifice bunt from Breydon Divine brought in the go-ahead run, and Jorge Bello capped the outburst with an RBI double to make it 5-3.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably that bottom of the first inning. It not only erased Longwood’s early advantage but also established control for Alabama State, setting a dominant offensive tone that lasted throughout the contest. The inning exhausted Longwood starter Brady Hoover and forced the Lancers into their bullpen early, while giving Hornets starter Jaxon Baptist a comfortable cushion to work with.

Baptist (7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 K) settled in after the rocky first, earning the win with a steady performance. He was backed by a relentless Alabama State offense that collected 14 hits. Espaillat, the Hornets’ second baseman, was the catalyst, driving in runs in the first, third and sixth innings. His third-inning double, which drove in a run and led to another on a subsequent error, extended the lead to 7-3. He added another RBI single in the sixth to cap his perfect day at the plate, a significant rebound after going a combined 1 for 7 in his previous two games.

Longwood’s Carter had a strong day in the loss, finishing 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and two runs scored. He tripled and scored on a Brogan Jon sacrifice fly in the fifth for the Lancers’ final run. The Longwood bullpen provided bright spots, with Wyatt Bunch, JR Fordham, Joe Gomez and Cameron Freeman combining for 5.2 scoreless innings of relief. Fordham struck out four in just 1.1 innings.

Caleb Sanders closed the game for Alabama State with two perfect innings of relief, striking out three.

The victory moved Alabama State back above .500 on the season, while Longwood, which had won 12 of its first 15 games, saw a four-game winning streak snapped. The teams were set to conclude the doubleheader later Saturday.