MACON, Ga. – The Savannah State University (0-16) dropped both games Sunday on the final day of the Black and Orange Classic with losses to Marist College 14-10 and to host Mercer University 21-2 in five innings at Sikes Field. 
 
Senior left fielder Chasney Jenkins led SSU with a .667 (2-for-3) batting average, while junior shortstop Brianna Harris batted .429 (3-for-7) with three RBIs, while senior right fielder and junior center fielder Shelby Eccles each batted .375 (3-for-8) and each scored three times.
 
Marist 14, Savannah State 10
Singleton went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI, while Eccles, Harris and senior pitcher Amanda McDowell each recorded two hits.  Eccles and McDowell scored twice, while Harris and McDowell each recorded two RBIs.  On the mound, Malcolm (0-2) picked up the loss pitching the final 1.1 innings giving up four runs on three hits. 
 
Savannah State scored five runs in the top of the first inning to take a 5-0 lead.  Singleton started the game with an infield single and stole second.  Eccles hit a bunt single and stole second to put runners on second and third with no outs.  Harris hit an infield single to drive home Singleton to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead and junior pitcher Chelsea Malcolm was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
 
McDowell doubled to right center to drive home Eccles and Harris and to put runners on second and third with no outs and to give the Lady Tigers a 3-0 lead.  Senior catcher Tia Bolden hit a sacrifice fly to drive home Malcolm for a 4-0 lead and junior shortstop Drea Leasure singled up the middle to drive home McDowell for a 5-0 lead.  Jenkins doubled to center field to put runners on second and third with two outs, but a ground out to third base ended the SSU threat. 
 
Marist bounced back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 5-2 after a two-run home run down the left field line and tied the game at five in the bottom of the third inning after scoring three runs after a sacrifice fly and two RBI singles.
 
The Lady Tigers broke the tie at five in the fourth inning to take a 7-5 lead.  After a strikeout to begin the inning, Jenkins walked on four pitches, followed by Singleton's RBI triple to right center to score Jenkins for a 6-5 lead.  After a groundout for the second out, Harris tripled down the right field line to drive home Singleton for a 7-5 lead.  A strikeout ended the SSU threat. 
 
The Red Foxes took the first lead of the game in the bottom half of the inning after scoring three runs to take an 8-7 lead after a three-run home run to center field, but the Lady Tigers bounced back with two runs in the fifth inning to take a 9-8 lead.
 
McDowell started the inning with a single and Bolden sacrificed McDowell to second for the first out.  Bolling hit an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out.  Bolling stole second and Leasure groundout to drive home McDowell to tie the game at eight.  Bolling scored on a throwing error to give SSU a 9-8 lead.  After Jenkins walked, a strikeout ended the inning.
 
Marist bounced back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 10-9 lead after a two-run single with two outs, but the Lady Tigers tied the game at 10 in the sixth inning after Malcolm's RBI double to drive home Eccles, who started the inning with an infield single.
 
Marist ended the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with a grand slam for the four run win.
 
The Red Foxes were led by Rebecca Freeman went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and 11 RBIs, while Miranda Perez added three hits and four runs scored.  On the mound, Meg Beiermeister (3-0) picked up the win after pitching the final 1.2 shutout innings giving up one hit. 
 
Mercer 21, Savannah 2 (5)
Eccles, Harris, Jenkins, Bolling and sophomore second baseman Allye Sneed each recorded a hit, while Singleton and Eccles each scored once and Eccles and Harris each recorded an RBI.  On the mound, Malcolm (0-3) picked up the loss pitching the first 2.1 innings giving up nine earned runs on seven hits.
 
Mercer scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 7-0 lead after a Bear scored on a throw, an RBI groundout, an RBI single, an RBI fielder's choice, a sacrifice bunt, and a two-run home run.  Mercer added two more runs in the second inning to increase its lead to 9-0 after a sacrifice fly and an error to score a Bear.
 
The Bears scored 11 runs in the third inning to take a 20-0 lead after back-to-back-to-back RBI walks, an RBI hit-by-pitch, a grand slam and a three-run error and added another run in the fourth inning to take a 21-0 lead after an RBI error. 
 
The Lady Tigers got on the board in the fifth inning with two runs to cut the lead to 21-2 after an RBI double by Eccles to score Singleton and Harris RBI groundout to score Eccles. 
 
Mercer was led by Emma Andrew going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs, while Maxine Rodriguez added five RBIs and Megan Lane added four RBIs.  On the mound, Megan Bilgri (3-0) picked up the win pitching the first three shutout innings giving up one hit. 
 
The Lady Tigers travel to Auburn, Ala., for the Wilson/DeMarini Classic this weekend.  SSU plays two games Friday with College of Charleston at 10 a.m. and Liberty University at 12:30 p.m. and single games Saturday and Sunday with host Auburn University at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Texas State University at 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
 
Marist 14, Savannah State 10 (Feb 26, 2017 at Macon, Ga.)
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Savannah State...... 500 221 0 - 10 13  2      (0-15)
Marist.............. 203 320 4 - 14 15  1      (5-4)
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Pitchers: Savannah State - MCDOWELL,AMANDA; MALCOM,Chelsea(6) and CYRUS,Kelsey. Marist -
Peterson; Oberdorf, J.(1); Van Alphen(5); Beiermeister(6) and Freeman.
Win-Beiermeister(3-0)  Loss-MALCOM,Chelsea(0-2)  T-2:32  A-87
HR MAR - Freeman 3.
Weather: Sunny, 60s
 
Mercer 21, Savannah State 2 (Feb 26, 2017 at Macon, Ga.)
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Savannah State...... 000    02 -  2  5  6      (0-16)
Mercer.............. 72(11) 1X - 21 10  2      (8-7)
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Pitchers: Savannah State - MALCOM,Chelsea; MCDOWELL,AMANDA(3) and CYRUS,Kelsey. Mercer -
Bilgri; O'Neill(4) and Lane; Josselet.
Win-Bilgri(3-0)  Loss-MALCOM,Chelsea(0-3)  T-2:02  A-56
HR MER - Rodriguez; Andrew.
 
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