BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | The University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball team defeated Miles in a nonconference matchup at historic Rickwood Field on Thursday afternoon by a final score of 7-3. UAH improves to 9-4, while MC slips to 6-6.

The Chargers jumped on the board early into Thursday's win as junior Trey Mathis belted an opposite-field, three-run home run to right-center in the top of the first for a 3-0 UAH lead.

However, the Golden Bears quickly reduced the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to cut the Chargers advantage to 3-2.

After scoreless innings for both sides, Miles was able to tack on an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth off UAH starting pitcher Gabe Gunter to knot the game at 3-3.

UAH rebounded in the top of the sixth to regain the lead at 4-3 as Wright Hackett drove in Mathis from second on a single up the middle, before Justin Cantrell delivered a two-RBI single up the middle in the seventh to extend the lead to 6-3.

An RBI double in the top of the eighth to deep centerfield by Austin Sanders brought the game to its 7-3 final.

UAH reliever Heath McRae picked up the win for the Chargers, after tossing 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with one strikeout, zero hits allowed and no walks. McRae moves to 2-0 in the 2016 campaign.

Fellow reliever Brent Elder was credited with his first save of the season for tossing the final 3.0 innings of the victory with three hits allowed, one strikeout and zero walks.

The Chargers totaled 12 hits in the contest, led by redshirt junior Austin Sanders who went 3-for-4 with one RBI, one run scored and one walk. Mathis posted a team-best three RBI, followed by Cantrell's two RBI.

The Blue and White jumps back into GSC play this weekend with a trip to No. 15 West Georgia for a three-game series, including a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. First pitch is at 12 p.m. CST both days.