ALBANY, Ga. — Intense play and strategic pitches were at the forefront of day two action in the 2024 Cricket SIAC Baseball Championship Tournament Thursday.
Albany State,
Spring Hill,
Edward Waters and
Savannah State advance to semifinal play Friday at Albany State University’s West Campus Complex.
GAME 5 | (6) LANE VS. (7) MOREHOUSE
No. 6
Lane (20-23, 18-14 SIAC) captured a 7-4 victory over
Morehouse (22-27, 15-17 SIAC) at Albany State University’s East Campus Complex Friday.
The Dragons opened scoring at the bottom of the third inning with a
Dakotah Danner double, driving in two runs. Danner,
Pollito Perez,
Cody Kirkland,
Seth Shannon and
Eli Garcia would score to close the inning with five runs over the Maroon Tigers.
Notable performances include Garcia and Shannon, who batted in three additional runs.
A
Timothy Whiteman double highlighted Morehouse's fifth-inning attempt, bringing in Robert Robinson Jr. and Elijah James. Still, despite the four-run tally, the Maroon Tigers could not bridge the gap.
Junior pitcher
Dominic Mercado effectively closed the game in the ninth, preventing any further scoring and securing the Dragons' win.
Morehouse failed to capitalize on late-game opportunities, leaving two Maroon Tigers on base as the game concluded.
Lane recorded seven runs from nine hits in the contest, while Morehouse managed four runs from seven hits.
Lane advanced to the tournament's ninth contest, facing off against top SIAC contender, Albany State (35-10, 30-3 SIAC).
GAME 6 | (3) EDWARD WATERS VS. (2) SPRING HILL
No. 2 Spring Hill (39-19, 25-7 SIAC) would meet its match in No. 3 Edward Waters (28-18, 21-11 SIAC) Friday as the Tigers clinched a close 4-2 victory.
Edward Waters initiated a strong start, scoring two runs in the first inning. Leonel Garcia led the Tiger's opening efforts. The senior catcher recorded a single to center field, bringing in
Daquarius Thompkins and junior infielder
Dave Mitchum.
Edward Waters’ efforts were steadfast, extending its lead as
Ferante Cowart scored on a balk. Mitchum would soon score on a Thompkins single to right field, adding an additional run to the Tigers’ second-inning finish.
Spring Hill struggled to capitalize on their batting opportunities throughout the game, managing only a few hits.
The Badgers’ first points on the board came in the fourth inning as
Eli Benoit recorded an RBI double, but their efforts to rally in the later innings fell short despite a run in the eighth, highlighted by strategic plays from
Jackson Bell and
Seth Williams.
Edward Waters' pitchers maintained a tight defense, limiting Spring Hill to just a few scoring opportunities and securing the win with strategic pitching and solid fielding.
The match concluded with Edward Waters University at four runs, eight hits and one error. Spring Hill would collect two runs and four hits in the contest, punching its ticket to the tournament’s losing team bracket.
The Tigers advance to semifinal play Saturday, rivaling No. 4 Savannah State (29-13, 21-12 SIAC).
GAME 7 | (8) KENTUCKY STATE VS. (5) MILES
A nine-run second inning and a five-run third inning propelled No. 8
Kentucky State (20-29, 14-17 SIAC) to a 14-4 victory over No. 5
Miles (22-22, 20-12 SIAC) at Albany State University’s East Campus Complex Friday.
An
Auston Brewer grounder to the Thorobreds’ shortstop and a
Camden Matthews injury delay marked the top of the first inning for Miles.
Kentucky State’s
Bakari Rush reached first base on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the second, allowing
Cedric Poellnitz to score on a fielding error for an unearned run. Rush advanced on a wild pitch, and his teammates followed to extend the lead to 2-0.
Kelton Saylor would single to left center, driving in two runs and pushing Kentucky State ahead, 4-0.
Poellnitz and
Treyvon Fletcher added RBIs to widen the gap to 8-0, and Preston Jones capped the inning with a double, extending the Thorobreds’ lead to 9-0.
The offensive barrage continued in the third inning as Poellnitz was hit by a pitch, scoring another run and bringing Kentucky State’s tally to 10-0.
A sacrifice fly by Fletcher and a shortstop error brought the score to 11-0 before
Danzel Lucas would hit a three-run shot, cementing the Thorobreds’ commanding lead.
Miles managed three runs in the fourth and one in the seventh.
The contest closed after seven innings on a run rule, securing Kentucky State’s victory.
The Thorobreds advanced to face No. 2 Spring Hill (39-19, 25-7 SIAC) in the tournament's tenth game, scheduled for that evening.
GAME 8 | (1) ALBANY STATE VS. (4) SAVANNAH STATE
No. 4 Savannah State (29-13, 21-12 SIAC) clinched a dominant 19-3 victory over the 2024 SIAC Baseball Regular Season Champions, Albany State (35-10, 30-3 SIAC).
The Tigers’ four runs in the first inning were highlighted by a two-run homer to left field by junior
Hakem Smith, driving in sophomore outfielder
Chandler Hicks.
Savannah State’s aggression continued throughout the game, bolstered by a strong performance in the fourth inning, recording five runs and producing a 9-2 tally.
The Golden Rams'
Emory Stephens and
Dominic Rutigliano put critical points on the board in the bottom of the second. Stephens would single through the left side, advancing senior
Austin Roberts to second and junior
Hill Corley to third. Rutigliano advanced on a sacrifice fly, bringing in Corley, narrowing the gap to 4-2.
Savannah State’s
Kendal Spencer recorded a home run in the seventh inning, contributing significantly to the team’s hefty lead by the game's close.
The game concluded after seven innings, with Savannah State establishing a firm command over the game.
With the win, the Tigers advance to semifinal play in the tournament’s eleventh game, rivaling No. 3 Edward Waters (28-18, 21-11 SIAC).
GAME 9 | (6) LANE VS. (1) ALBANY STATE
In a dynamic and closely contested game, No. 1 Albany State (35-10, 30-3 SIAC) squared off against No. 6 Lane (20-23, 18-14 SIAC) to secure a 7-5 victory Friday.
Lane set the tone early with sophomore
Pollito Perez doubling down the left field line and
Dakotah Danner recording an RBI single to left field.
Albany State answered back in their half of the first, with
Jonathan Logsdon and
Zane Ross taking walks to load the bases. That sequence would set up a scoring opportunity, resulting in a
Luke Addison bunt single to drive in a run.
The momentum continued to build into the top of the ninth inning, where Lane pushed their limits.
Seth Shannon delivered a crucial RBI single to right center, driving home Perez and advancing Danner to third. Despite this push, the inning concluded with minimal damage as Lane's subsequent hitters were retired quickly.
The game was marked by frequent pitching changes and sharp defensive plays, maintaining a competitive edge until the final out.
Albany State advances to the tournament’s twelfth game, facing No. 2 Spring Hill (39-19, 25-7 SIAC) in semifinal play.
GAME 10 | (2) SPRING HILL VS. (8) KENTUCKY STATE
In an intense extra-innings contest, No. 2 Spring Hill (39-19, 25-7 SIAC) claimed a 6-5 win over No. 8 Kentucky State (20-29, 14-17 SIAC).
The Thorobreds took an early lead when Collier Higgs hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning, allowing
Kelton Saylor to score.
Sophomore infielder
Preston Jones hit a single to right field in the third inning, driving in
Cedric Poellnitz for the inning's only run.
A wild pitch in the top of the fifth allowed Saylor to score again, giving the Thorobreds a 3-1 lead.
A Badgers’ rally in the bottom of the fifth inning would produce two runs, tying the score at 3-3.
Jack Taylor would record a single up the middle, allowing
Seth Williams to advance to third to take the lead.
The Thorobreds advanced to a 5-4 standing in the eighth inning, credited to Saylor’s contact with a Badgers’ pitch.
Spring Hill tied the game (5-5) at the bottom of the ninth, sending the contest into extra innings.
The Badgers would score another run to seal the victory, removing Kentucky State from the tournament’s bracket.
With the win, the Badgers advance to the tournament’s twelfth game, rivaling No. 1 Albany State (35-10, 30-3 SIAC).
The 2024 Cricket SIAC Baseball Championship Tournament continues tomorrow, with semifinal play beginning at 10 a.m. ET. Visit the
championship webpage and follow the SIAC on
Facebook,
Instagram and
X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates!
About the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors seven men's and six women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.