Box Score MONTGOMERY, Al- The Savannah State University baseball team opened the 2023 Black College World Series with a 13-9 loss to Bluefield State University in a game played at Riverwalk Stadium.
The Tigers pounded out ten hits in the contest but also committed three errors.
Bluefield State struck first in the top of the second inning when Dillon Sullivan scored on a balk and Garret Hladilek scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
Savannah State answered in the bottom half of the inning with five runs off three hits.
With the bases juiced, Desmore Joseph scored on a passed ball. After Omar Almodovar drew a walk to re-load the bases, Joe Smith walked which brought home Green to tie the score. A triple by Jaden Oden cleared the bases and put the Tigers on top 5-2.
Both teams scored a run in the third inning which made the score 6-3.
Hladilek hit a solo home run to left field in the top of the fourth to pull Big Blue within 6-4 but Savannah State responded in the bottom of the fourth as Oden drew a walk and scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrai Wright.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Brantley Durham hit a three-run homer for Bluefield State to tie the game at 7 apiece. Not to be outdone, SSU added two runs in their portion of the sixth when Smith was hit by a pitch and later scored when Wright singled through the left side of the infield. Following a walk to Champion Robbins, Joseph singled up the middle and Wright was able to score because of a throwing error by the Bluefield State shortstop which put SSU back up 9-7.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, they would not score again as Bluefield State tacked on three runs in the seventh, one run in the eighth and two more in the top of the ninth.
In fact, Savannah State went hitless, the final three innings.
For the game, Oden had three hits and drove in three runs for SSU, Joseph collected three hits and Smith crossed home plate three times while drawing three walks.
Andrew Mann started on the mound for the Tigers. Mann pitched 5.2 innings and gave up seven runs, eight hits and one walk while striking out two. Reliever Gerald Toledo was tagged with the loss. He pitched 2.2 innings and surrendered six hits, six runs and one walk while recording three strikeouts.
Josh Plisko earned the win for Bluefield State, after pitching three innings of no hit ball and striking out three batters. Durham had four RBI for BSU. Bluefield State ended the game with 14 hits and only one error.
With the loss, Savannah State (33-13) will play Edward Waters University on May 11 at 9:00 a.m. CST.
Edward Waters loss to Albany State University 3-2 in their opening round game.
During the 2023 regular season, Savannah State swept Edward Waters in their three game series in late March by scores of 7-1, 8-2 and 15-5.
The format for the event that is in its third year is two divisions, one bracket of four NCAA Division II teams and one bracket of four NAIA teams, playing a double-elimination format, and winners of each division face off in a one-game playoff to determine a champion.
The 2023 Black College World Series Presented by Tyson Foods games will be played at Riverwalk Stadium home of the Montgomery Biscuits Major League Baseball Double-A affiliate the Tampa Bay Rays. Games will be live streamed by Woodlawn Entertainment on the Black College Nines Tournament Central Page, YouTube and Facebook pages, and Black College Championships website blackcollegechampionships.com.
