BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Miles snapped its 11-game losing streak with a win in the second game of a crucial doubleheader against
Tuskegee Saturday afternoon at historic Rickwood Field. The Golden Bears (18-17, 11-14) dropped the opener 9-4 before coming back to take the nightcap 10-4.
In the second game, Miles fell behind 2-0 but scored three times in the third inning to take the lead.
Landon Whitehead's two-run single gave the Golden Bears their first inning of more than two runs since their last win on Mar. 15. Tuskegee (11-16, 8-17) would tie the game in the fourth on a solo home run by Mario Craig - who also had a two-run triple in the second.
The Golden Bears would go back on top in the fifth. Whitehead and
Malachi Jeffries executed a double steal and Jeffries would score when the throw sailed into left field. Miles then broke the game open in the sixth, spearheaded by a 3-run moonshot home run by
Zakry Licastro that put Miles ahead 7-3. Whitehead added his third RBI on a squeeze bunt that plated
Ajani Lyons as part of the six-run frame. All that run support was plenty for
Darryl Johnson (4-3), who got the complete-game win and finished with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
It looked like Miles would break the streak in the first game, taking a 4-1 lead into the eighth. Starter
Jaelyn Rhynes (6-4) was cruising and ultimately finished with a career-high 12 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings pitched. But he walked four batters in the decisive eighth inning and Tuskegee scored six times to take control of the game.
Kaleb Raston had a two-run single that gave Miles an early lead and
Antwan Jackson had two hits but it was not enough to end the losing streak.
Miles will finish the three-game series on Sunday with a single game against the Golden Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) 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 nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.