HUNTSVILLE, Ala.- The Savannah State baseball team split a double header with Alabama A&M, losing the opener 12-9 but winning the nightcap 3-2. The games were played at Bulldog Field.
In the first game, the teams combined for 25 hits while making four errors apiece.
In the top of the first inning, Jonathan Moore doubled and scored when Jakeel Daniels reached on an error by the third baseman. Daniels scored on a double by Mendez Elder for a 2-0 lead. A&M scored a run in the bottom of the inning to make the score 2-1. SSU left the bases loaded in the second inning but did manage to score two runs with Cole Bruce and Moore crossing home plate for a 4-1 advantage. The Bulldogs added one run to cut their deficit to 4-2. Alabama A&M scored three runs off of one hit in the third as they took the lead 5-4. In the fifth, Ryan Thrasher hit a three run home run to increase the Bulldog lead to 8-4.
Charles Sikes hit a RBI single for SSU in the sixth that scored Jalen Atterbury but Alabama A&M answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to make the score 10-5. Both teams scored one run each in the seventh and Savannah State added three more in the eighth as Elder hit a RBI single and Somto Egbuna hit a two run single to get the Tigers within 11-9. In the bottom of the eighth, A&M scored the final run of the contest as Dylan hit a RBI double.
The Tigers had 14 hits but left 14 runners on base. Elder had three hits while Moore scored three times. Greg Hollman struck out four batters in 4.1 innings. A&M had 11 hits and left eight men on base. Ty Russell scored three runs while Thrasher drove in three runs. Brandon Marsonek struck out four batters in 1.2 innings.
In the second contest, Elder led off the fourth with a double and scored on a single by Khalyd Cox for a 1-0 lead. A&M tied the game in the bottom of the inning. In the fifth, Atterbury was hit by a pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a error and scored on a single by Brian Miller to give the Tigers a 2-1 advantage. Aterbury led off the seventh with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Sikes to make the score 3-1. Cornelius Woods hit a solo home run for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the inning for the final run of the game.
Miller had two hits for SSU while Atterbury scored twice. Trevor McKenna pitched a complete game with six strikeouts to earn the win. The Tigers had seven hits and left six men on base.
Woods had three hits for A&M while Josh Buchell, who struck out seven, was tagged with the loss. The Bulldogs had eight hits, left five on base and committed three errors.
