BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After squandering an early lead,
Miles scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead, then worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to preserve a 5-4 win over Stillman Monday afternoon to close out the Willie Mays Open at historic Rickwood Field.
The Golden Bears (3-0) got a two-run double from
Gregory Willis, then scored on a bunt single by
Michael Smith to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Tigers chipped away and took the lead in the fifth on a Javian Rieves two-run single for a 4-3 advantage.
Miles would go back ahead in the sixth.Willis drove in his third run with a bunt single that plated
Myles Wessels with one out to tie the contest. With two outs,
Cameron Warren singled to center and Warren scored to put the Golden Bears back on top.
In the seventh, Stillman looked poised to at least tie the game against reliever
Anthony Barton. With one out, the Tigers loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and a hit by pitch. But Barton induced a ground ball by Davion Wilkins to third baseman
Elyjah Anderson, who threw home for the first out and fired to first for the final out to earn the save.
The Golden Bears are back in action on Friday when they play Xavier in the Ron Washington Classic in New Orleans. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
FOLLOW THE SIAC
Stay connected by following the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on
Facebook,
Instagram and
X @TheSIAC.
SIAC NEWS
Sign up for SIAC News to be among the first to receive media releases, updates and more!
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.