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Savannah State University Athletics

1
11
Winner Spring Hill College SHC 32-21
2
Savannah State SSU 33-12
Winner
Spring Hill College SHC
32-21
11
Final
2
Savannah State SSU
33-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Spring Hill College SHC 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 5 11 16 0
Savannah State SSU 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 3

W: M Racobaldo (3-4) L: Santiago, Jose (6-3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Tigers Finish Runner-Up In SIAC Championship

Post-Season Continues At 2023 Black College World Series

ALBANY, Ga. – Savannah State baseball had a tall order ahead of them after falling to Spring Hill in the second game of the 2023 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship Tournament. 
 
Out of the consolation bracket, the Tigers earned wins against Tuskegee and Kentucky State to earn a spot in the semifinals. Against the No. 1 seed, Albany State, Savannah State battled for 13 innings, until finally pulling out a 9-8 win to earn a trip to the ship.
 
But a rested Spring Hill, with a solid pitcher on the mound, was too much for Savannah State on Sunday. The Tigers fell in the championship game, 2-11, finishing runner-up after a well-fought tournament run.
 
The post-season continues for Savannah State. Last week, the Tigers were officially invited to the 2023 Black College World Series, held annually at the Major League Baseball Double-A affiliate Montgomery Biscuits' Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama.
 
Savannah State will face Bluefield State in the second game of the NCAA Division II bracket on Wednesday, May 10, at 4 p.m. for a chance to be named Black College World Series Champions.
 
The Tigers last played in the Black College World Series at the end of the 2021 season.
 
In Sunday's SIAC Championship Game, Savannah State struck first. Joseph Desmore singled through the left side in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Jaden Oden who reached on a wild pitch after a strikeout.
 
The score would remain 1-0 for the next two innings as Spring Hill's Michael Racobaldo and Savannah State's Jose Santiago battled from the mound.
 
Spring Hill got some movement on offense in the fourth, platting two runs off three hits for a 2-1 lead. They tacked on four more in the sixth off four hits and two SSU errors for a 6-1 lead.
 
Looking to rally, as they had done three times before in the tournament, Savannah State—facing Spring Hill relief pitcher Jackson Short—got some movement at the plate in the seventh inning. Andrai Wright singled up the middle, scoring Gabriel Patxot who reached on a single. But a groundout ended their chances in the inning.
 
Spring Hill solidified the rout in the ninth inning, facing SSU's bullpen. The Badgers platted five more runs on six hits for a commanding lead into the bottom of the final frame—earning their third consecutive SIAC Championship.
 
Racobaldo earned his third pitching win of the season, going 6.0 innings. He allowed one earned run on three hits with two walks and a nine strikeouts.
 
Savannah State averaged at least 10 hits in every game leading up to the championship, racking up an incredible 56 hits and 45 runs over five games. In the championship game, they managed only six hits.
 
Santiago was tagged with the pitching loss after 7.0 innings of work. He allowed four earned runs on 10 hits with one walk and no strikeouts.
Savannah State closes out the SIAC season 33-12 overall, one of the best records in modern history for the program.
 
Last year's team finished 34-12. The last Savannah State team to finish with a 30-plus win season was the 2013 Tigers under current Head Coach Carlton Hardy. They finished 33-23 and won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship.
 
The 2003 team was the last to record a 34-win season (34-15) under Head Coach Jamie Rigdon. Rigdon led the Tigers to their last SIAC Championship in 1999. That team finished 46-3.
 
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