GAME CENTRAL - MEAC Baseball Tournament

#4S SSU (21-29, 11-13 MEAC) vs. #2S Florida A&M University (24-24, 14-10 MEAC)

GAME:
Thursday - May 15 at 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Norfolk, Va. (Marty L. Miller Stadium)
LIVE STATS LINK:  Click
BRACKET:  Click
TIGERS ON TWITTER: @savstatetigers  (#HailSSU)
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The Savannah State baseball team advances to the second round of the MEAC Tournament winner's bracket to face the #2 South team Florida A&M Rattlers today at 4 p.m. in Marty L. Miller Stadium. The Tigers move forward after defeating the #1 North team Delaware State 8-4 in first round action. Yesterday's victory added fuel to the red-hot Tigers late season winning as SSU has now won its last seven of nine games over conference teams. However, the Tigers have no easy road ahead taking on a FAMU team that is coming off a 10-0 win over Coppin St. and has beaten the Tigers in 5 of 6 meetings this year.
 
SSU, who is the defending tournament champions and looking to advance to the third round for the second straight year, got heroics from transfer Zachery Brigham to secure its 8-4 win over Delaware State. SSU struck for five runs in the top of the eighth, courtesy of a RBI single by Charles "Tre" Sikes and Brigham's grand slam.

Also 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. Hoffer scored twice and Brigham had four RBI.

Florida A&M, who is led by MEAC Coach of the Year Jamey Shouppe and Player of the Year Bennie Robinson, closed out the their season on a hot streak of their own, winning their last five games then shutting out Coppin in the first round of the tournament. FAMU finished the season as Co-Southern Division Champions but was the 2nd place team in the bracket due to their head-to-head record with Co-Champion Bethune-Cookman. The Rattlers' anchor, Robinson, leads the team in batting (.390), hits (76), runs (40), doubles (15), RBI (38) and slugging percentage (.559).

MORE LINKS:
Savannah State Season Stats: Click
Savannah State Roster: Click
Savannah State Schedule/Results: Click
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Standings: Click
 
THE OPPONENT:
Florida A&M University
Schedule: Click
Roster: Click
Season Stats: Click