SAVANNAH, Ga.- Savannah State returned to conference play on Saturday afternoon by splitting a doubleheader with Benedict at Tiger Field.

Savannah State won the opener 17-2 but came up short in the second game 6-3.

The Tigers had a balanced attack in the first game, getting 19 hits at the plate while the defense relied on the arm of Austin McCormack who struck out 11 batters in six innings.

In the first inning, Tyler Tucker and Yan Cartaya hit RBI singles and Gavin Jusino hit a RBI double for a 3-0 lead.

Benedict scored a run in the top of the second but SSU answered in the bottom half of the winning when Kidane Stephens and Tucker both hit sacrifice flies that drove in runs and Cartaya hit a RBI single for a 6-1 advantage.

Following a home run by Benedict in the top of the third, Savannah State responded with three more runs.

Kijani Clarington hit a RBI single and scored when Johan Sandoval reached base on an error by the right fielder. Sandoval came home when Stephens reached base on an error by the right fielder to make the score 9-2.

Noah Rodriguez and Jason Ramos both hit RBI singles in the fourth inning and Tucker hit a run scoring double in the bottom of the fifth that increased the SSU lead to ten.

Savannah State sent five more runners across home plate in the bottom of the sixth with Rodriguez hitting a two-run home run, Ramos scoring on a wild pitch, Sandoval hitting a RBI triple and Stephens hitting a sacrifice fly that allowed Sandoval to cross home plate.

Stephens and Noah Brown both had three RBI, two hits and two runs, Clarington had three hits and three runs, Tucker had three hits and three RBI, Sandoval had four runs and two RBI, Ramos had three hits and two runs, Cartaya had two hits and two RBI and Jusino had two hits.

Savannah State could only manage five hits and three runs in the second game while leaving 13 runners stranded on base.

The game was scoreless until the third inning when both teams scored a run.

SSU tied the game at 1-1 on a RBI single by Tucker.

The Tigers went ahead 2-1 in the fourth when Bryce Bause walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored when Chandler Hicks reached base on an error by the pitcher.

Benedict went ahead 3-2 with two runs in the sixth but Savannah State tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh when Bause hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly that was deep enough to bring Sandoval home.

The visiting Tigers from Columbia, South Carolina won the game with three runs in the top of the ninth.

Sandoval went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored twice for SSU (12-11, 9-5 SIAC).

Adonis Perez, who pitched the final three innings for Savannah State, was tagged with the loss.

Savannah State and Benedict will completed their weekend series on March 15 at 12 noon at Tiger Field.

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