Southern University

BATON ROUGE, LA — Kameron Byrd delivered a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday night as Southern University rallied past Alabama A&M 9-8 in the opener of a Southwestern Athletic Conference weekend series at Lee-Hines Stadium.

The Jaguars erased a late deficit and extended their conference winning streak to 13 games after Byrd lined a game-winning hit to right field that scored KJ White Jr. and Jacoby Radcliffe. 

Southern trailed 8-7 entering the bottom of the ninth after Alabama A&M's Tarris Murray blasted a solo homer in the top half of the inning.

The Jaguars answered immediately. White  opened the inning with a single and stole second before Radcliffe dropped down a bunt single and swiped second to put two runners in scoring position. One out later, Byrd delivered the decisive hit to cap Southern's fourth comeback of the night. 

Byrd finished with four RBI's on a 2-for-5 night, including a game-tying two-run single in the seventh inning. White scored three runs and added two hits, while Radcliffe reached base four times and stole three bases. 

Southern's aggressive base running proved critical throughout the contest. The Jaguars stole seven bases, including a straight steal of home by Jaylon Lucky during a three-run third inning that gave Southern a 4-2 lead. 

Alabama A&M answered with a four-run fifth inning and added another run in the sixth to build a 7-5 advantage. Murray led the Bulldogs offensively with two hits and three RBI's, including his ninth-inning homer, while Zak Rice collected three hits and two RBI's. 

Genesis Prosper and Caleb Ellis combined for 3 2/3 innings of relief to help Southern stay within striking distance before the Jaguars completed the dramatic finish in the ninth. 

By the Numbers

• Southern: 9 runs, 11 hits, 7 stolen bases
• Alabama A&M: 8 runs, 10 hits 
• Kameron Byrd: 2-for-5, 4 RBIs, walk-off single
• KJ White Jr..: 2-for-4, 3 runs scored, RBI, 2 stolen bases
• Jacoby Radcliffe: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 walks, 3 stolen bases
• Jaylon Lucky: triple, RBI, stolen home

Keys to Victory

Late-game execution — Southern scored four combined runs in the seventh and ninth innings to erase multiple deficits.

Aggressive base running — The Jaguars stole seven bases and consistently pressured Alabama A&M defensively.

Clutch hitting from Byrd — Byrd drove in nearly half of Southern's runs, including the game-tying hit in the seventh and the walk-off winner in the ninth.

Resilience under pressure — Southern responded every time Alabama A&M seized momentum, including after surrendering the go-ahead homer in the ninth inning.