TAMPA, Fla. Savannah State was eliminated from the NCAA Division II South Regional, following their 9-8 loss to Auburn-Montgomery on May 17, 2024. The game took place at the UT Baseball Field.

The Tigers were the eighth seed while Auburn-Montgomery, from the Gulf South Conference, was the fifth seed.

Both teams needed a win to stay alive, having loss their first game a day before. SSU lost to Tampa 16-7 and the Warhawks fell to Lee 24-7.

Neither team scored in the first inning but Savannah State jumped out to the early lead with three runs in the top of the second.

Hunter Bradshaw led off with a walk and Chandler Hicks flied out to the right fielder for the first out. A single by Desmore Joseph II moved Bradshaw to third and a single by Joseph Miller allowed Bradshaw to score. Jacob Rushin laid down a bunt which loaded the bases. Following the second out by William Mahoney IV, D'Sean Prinkleton was issued a walk which brought home Joseph. A single through the left side of the infield by Tampa native Kendal Spencer allowed Miller to cross home plate for a 3-0 score.

Auburn-Montgomery was able to score a run in the bottom of the second, third and fourth innings to tie the score and then sent four runners across home plate in the fifth to take a 7-3 lead.

The Tigers loaded the bases in the top of the seventh when Prinkleton tripled to right field and Spencer and Hakem Smith were both hit by pitches. Bradshaw reached base on a fielder's choice but Prinkleton was thrown out at home plate and Hicks struck out for the second out but a walk issued to Joseph allowed Spencer to score.

SSU scored three times off one hit in the eighth to tie the game at 7-7.

Rushin and Mahoney both drew walks and Prinkleton was hit by a pitch to load the base pads for Spencer who hit a double to left field that scored Rushin and Mahoney. After a ground-out by Hakem Smith, Bradshaw hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Spencer to score and tie the game.

AUM scored a run in the bottom half of the inning to go ahead 8-7.

A RBI single by Jadon Oden in the top of the ninth tied the game at 8-8 while SSU pitchers held the Warhawks scoreless to force extra innings.

Joseph hit a single and Miller drew a walk in the tenth inning for SSU but the Tigers could not score a run.

In the bottom half of the tenth, Tyrese Rooks hit a double to right field and scored the game winner when Zach Dew singled to right field to keep AUM (32-23) alive.

Savannah State collected 13 hits in the game but made three errors and stranded 15 runners on base. AUM had 14 hits, made one error and left nine runners on base.

Prinkleton went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored once for SSU while Joseph went 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI. Spencer had three RBI, two hits and scored a run and Miller scored twice.

Brevin Smith took the loss on the mound. The freshman from Palm Bay, Florida pitched the final five innings and struck out two while giving up six hits, two runs and one walk. Jose Santiago started on the hill for SSU. In his four innings, Santiago struck out two and surrendered four hits, three runs and three walks. Lake City, Florida native Brayden Thomas pitched one-third of an inning and gave up four runs.

The loss concludes Savannah State's season with a 31-17 record.