The Selma University Bulldogs broke open a close game to take a 13-3 win at home over the rival Concordia College Alabama Hornets on Friday.

Selma University baseball coach Eric Nelson said smarter at-bats powered the Bulldogs (11-3) to a big win.

“We had settled our batters down and told them to just start taking them until the other pitcher gives us strikes,” Nelson said. “We were giving away too many at-bats, but that’s all we did was just make that small adjustment, take one until we get a strike.”

The Hornets (1-6) struck first in the top of the second, as Jimmy Martin scored from second on a hit to shallow left field by Darryl Pittman that made it a 1-0 game.

But Selma added two runs in the bottom of the second, as Nick Gallipeau scored from third after Rob Brown was hit by a pitch with bases loaded, and Javaris Davis also scored from third after another walk with loaded bases, making it 2-1 in favor of the Bulldogs going into the third.

The Bulldogs started to pull away in the bottom of the third, as Sabien Duplesis scored from third on a passed ball, and Andrew Pitts later came in from third on a deep hit by Gallipeau to make it 4-1.

Selma added two more runs in the inning, including Gallipeau scoring on a hit to deep right field by Mason Minor, and Davis scoring on a passed ball, making it a 6-1 ball game.

The Bulldogs carried over that momentum to the bottom half of the fifth inning, with Davis scoring from second on a hit to left center field by Jamion Barlow, making it 7-1.

The Hornets found their offense again in the top of the sixth, as Darryl Watkins scored from third on a fielder’s choice play, and Kieran Sturdivant scored from third on a groundball to center field by Kery Webb that made it 7-3.

But the Bulldogs responded with a big sixth inning, starting with Lynn Lewis scoring on a sacrifice fly, followed by Gallipeau crushing a two-run homer to center field that made the score 10-3.

Selma closed out the sixth with two more runs, with Davis scoring on a hit by Gabriel Valazquez, and Lewis scoring on an infield single by Pitts, making it 12-3.

Selma’s final run came in the bottom of the eighth, as Mitchell Webb drove in a run.

Anthony Durant was the winning pitcher for Selma, striking out nine batters including the first three in the game, with no walks and no earned runs in seven innings.

Concordia pitcher Christian Brisco struck out three.

Curtis Wimberly, head baseball coach of Concordia, said the Hornets were hurt by mistakes, but are still making progress.

“Well, it was a just a combination of poor base running, but I’m proud of my guys. We got the bats going today for the first time,” Wimberly said. “It’s a learning experience for them, but they see that they can play now.”

Concordia and Selma University will face each other again in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 12 p.m. at Selma University.