BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Newcomer
Aaron Salaazar batted a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs to match while fellow newcomer
Adonis Smith got the win on the mound to help
Clark Atlanta open the season 1-0 for the second-straight season.
THE BASICS
Score:
Clark Atlanta –
8 | Claflin – 2
Records: Panthers 1-0 | Claflin Panthers 0-1
Date: January 30, 2026
Location: Birmingham, Ala. | Lawson State CC
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Miles Hawkins belted a single to bring Winston Noel in for the Panthers first score of the day, 1-0.
- Clark Atlanta took a 2-0 lead after Jaylon Johnson singled to score Miles Hawkins in the first inning.
- Claflin evened the score at two apiece with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first frame.
- Salazar and Robert Robinson both scored on an error in the top of the second to give CAU a 4-2 advantage.
- At the top of the fourth frame, Zach Dawson batted in a pair of RBIs with a single to score Andrew Leonard and Salaazar, bringing Clark Atlanta's lead to 6-2.
- Robert Robinson doubled to bring Jaylon Johnson in for a run, followed by Salaazar's single to right field to score Robinson. The Panthers took an 8-2 lead, which they held on to to secure the opening day victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to the diamond on Saturday, February 7, as they host Morris College in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at Home Plate Field in Peachtree City, Ga.
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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.