SAVANNAH, Ga.- The Savannah State baseball team lost a conference double-header to North Carolina Central in games played at Tiger Field.
NCCU won the first game 9-5 and completed the sweep with a 5-4 win in the nightcap.
The losses drop Savannah State to 10-34 overall and 5-12 in MEAC play.
In the first game, the Eagles scored three runs off one hit to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
The Tigers went ahead 5-3 in the fifth when Jonathan and Malcolm Moore both scored runs.
NCCU rallied in the final two innings, tying the game in the eighth and adding four more runs in the ninth.
SSU used eighth pitchers in the game that combined to surrender nine runs, eight hits and eight walks.
Greg Smith was tagged with the loss.
At the plate, Elder drove in two runs.
SSU made four errors, had six hits and left eight men on base.
Ellington Hopkins had two hits, scored twice and drove in two runs for NCCU. Devin Sweet got the win, striking out five in six innings.
The Eagles left 13 runners on base and made two errors.
In the second game, Central sent two runners across home plate in both the first and second innings for a 4-0 cushion.
Charles Sikes hit a RBI single for Savannah State to slice their deficit to 4-1.
The Eagles went ahead 5-1 in the top of the seventh after a RBI single by Trevor Theissen.
SSU rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning but would fall short of getting a win.
Jacob Lightle was hit by a pitch while
Marcus Mitchell and
Somto Egbuna both singled to load the bases. After a pitching change, the new pitcher threw a wild pitch while allowed Lightle to score. A sacrifice fly by
Bernard Barnes allowed Mitchel to score and a single by Cox drove in Egbuna for the final run of the day.
Sikes had two hits and a pair of RBIs for SSU. McCranie took the loss after pitching 6.2 innings and striking out three.
The Tigers ended the game with seven hits and four errors while leaving five men on base.
Thessien led NCCU with three hits and three RBIs. Cameron Scalzo earned the win after striking out seven while Andrew Vernon got the save.
The Eagles (23-24, 10-10 MEAC) had 10 hits and left six men on base.
