Box Score

NORFOLK, Va.- Zachary Brigham hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to help Savannah State to a 8-4 win over Delaware State in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament played at Marty Miller Field.
 
The Tigers, who entered the tournament as the fourth seed in the southern division, trailed 4-3 after the seventh inning. SSU struck for five runs in the top of the eighth, courtesy of a RBI single by Charles Sikes and Brigham's grand slam.
 
Savannah State took a 1-0 lead in the third. Todd Hagen singled and scored on double by David Richards.
 
DSU, the top seed in the northern division of the conference, tied the game in the fourth and added two more runs in the fifth for a 3-1 advantage.
 
With two outs in the seventh, SSU scored two unearned runs to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Aaron Hoffer singled and advanced to third on a double by Mendez Elder. Kevin Herlihy reached base because of a error by the third baseman which allowed Hoffer and Elder to score.
 
The Hornets scored a unearned run in the bottom half of the inning to go ahead 4-3.
 
In the eighth, Richards led of with a double and scored on a single by Sikes to tie the contest at 4-4. After Ian Farris popped out, Hoffer and Hector Benitez hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for Brigham. The junior from Canton, Georgia took a 1-2 pitch and hit a home run over the right field fence for the 8-4 lead.
 
SSU closer Eric Ricks earned the win by shutting down the Delaware State batters the final 2.2 innings to put the Tigers into the winners bracket of the tournament. Ricks gave up two hits and struck out two batters. Austin Denney pitched 6.1 inning for SSU.
 
Richards, Hoffer and Benitez each had two hits for the Tigers (21-29). Hoffer scored twice and Brigham had four RBI.
 
Cameron Cecil had three hits for DSU (30-16). George Michael took the loss. Michael pitched a third of a inning and surrounded two runs and two hits.
 
Both teams made two errors in the field.
 
SSU had 11 hits and left five runners on base. The Hornets had 10 hits and stranded 10 runners.
 
Savannah State will play the winner of the Coppin State vs. Florida A&M game on May 14 at 4 p.m.