SAVANNAH, Ga.- With the game tied 3-3, Savannah State scored five times in the bottom of the sixth inning and went on to defeat Benedict 9-5 in the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
The crowd at Tiger Field saw
Gabe Breckenridge,
Johan Sandoval and
Yan Cartaya all drive in two runs apiece for the Tigers as they improved to 13-11 overall and 10-5 in the SIAC.
Gavin Jusino singled to right center in the second inning and came home on a single to centerfield by
David Sanders for a 1-0 lead.
Benedict responded with two runs in the third before SSU tied the game in the fourth.
Jusino hit a single while
AJ Finkley and Sanders drew walks to load the bases.
Noah Rodriguez reached base on a fielder's choice but Jusino was thrown out at the plate while a single to centerfield by Breckenridge allowed Finkley to score to tie the game.
Benedict went ahead 3-2 in the fifth but a solo home run over the right field fence in the bottom half of the inning by Sandoval left the teams tied once again.
SSU began to pull away in the sixth with five runs to go ahead 8-3.
With one out,
Julian Grier hit a single to left field and stole second base. Rodriguez drew a walk, Grier stole third and Rodriguez stole second to put both runners in scoring position for Breckenridge and Sandoval who both hit back-to-back RBI singles that scored Grier and Rodriguez.
After
Kidane Stephens walked to load the bases,
Tyler Tucker's groundout to third brought home Breckenridge and a single to centerfield by Cartaya allowed Sandoval and Stephens to make the score 8-3.
Benedict scored twice in the seventh to pull to within 8-5 but Savannah State added an insurance run in the eighth.
Seth Stargell walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and made his way to third base when Tucker reached base on an error by the shortstop. Stargell scored the final run of the day when Cartaya grounded into a double play.
Breckenridge finished the game with three hits and two RBI, Sandoval had two hits, two RBI and scored twice, Cartaya drove in two runs and Jusino had two hits.
Gregorio Gonzalez pitched the first five innings for the Tigers and gave up three runs while striking out eight while
Bynton Edge, who was awarded the win, pitched the final four innings and surrendered two runs while recording five strikeouts.
Savannah State will travel to Mobile, Alabama for a three-game series with Spring Hill on March 21-22.
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