SAVANNAH, Ga.- Playing their first home game since February 25, Savannah State returned home with a bang as
Madison Starling-Martin's walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Lady Tigers a 7-6 win over Fort Valley State on Friday afternoon.
The win gives SSU a 16-11 overall record and a 7-6 record in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The 16 victories are the most for the program since winning 26 games during the 2016 season while still playing in Division I in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference.
With the scored tied 6-6,
Jayla Alexander led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center field and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. After
Ariana Battle struck out,
Neveah Ford hit a single which allowed Alexander to advance to third base. The next batter, Starling-Martin, hit the first pitch thrown at her to right field which brought home Alexander for the game winning run.
It was Starling-Matin's only hit of the game.
Savannah State led 1-0 after the first inning.
Ansley Hudson drew a walk and stole second. Following outs by
Kaitlyn Williams and
Ambria Guye, Alexander hit a single that scored Hudson.
The lead stood up until the top of the third when FVSU scored twice to take a one run lead. The Wildcats added another run in the top of the fourth to increase their margin to 3-1.
Savannah State left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth but not before sending three runners across home plate.
Guye and Alexander hit back-to-back singles and a ground-out by Battle allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Ford drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitched that that led to
Carissa Ball, who was running for Guye, to score and Alexander to advance to third base. Alexander came home when Starling-Martin reached base on a fielder's choice and a double to left field by
Jayla Givens sent home Ford and Starling-Martin to put the Lady Tigers back in front 4-3.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Fort Valley State retook the lead with three runs in the top of the sixth.
SSU answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the sixth when
Donnea Allen,
Milani Dunning and Hudson all drew walks to load the bases for
Phaedra Smith whose ground-out to the third baseman brought home Allen and Dunning to tie the game at 6-6.
In the top of the seventh, FVSU had runners on first and second with two outs but
Donnea Allen struck out the last batter to end the Wildcats threat.
Alexander went 4-for-4 at the plate for the Lady Tigers, scoring twice and driving in a run. Smith and Starling-Martin both had two RBI.
Allen pitched all seven innings and struck out eight batters to give her 101 for the season.
Savannah State and FVSU will play a double-header on Saturday at the SSU Softball Field, starting at 1 p.m.
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