HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. - A pair of home runs highlighted the day for Stillman College, but the Tigers split their non-conference doubleheader at Rust College on Tuesday, falling 7-5 after a 15-10 Game 1 victory.
GAME 1: STILLMAN 15, RUST 10
The Tigers scored their first run on a balk in the top of the first that scored
Devin Kelly, who led off the game with a single to left. Kelvin Resee singled in a pair of runs, followed by a three-run double by
Kobe Lewis to break the game open, 6-0, in the second inning. The seven-run second inning was capped by a sac fly and run-scoring error. Two more runs scored on an error in the third inning as Stillman stretched its lead to 10-0.
Matt Rivers singled to drive in a run in the fourth before Rust got on the board, 11-1, with a solo home run by Shemaar Stapleton in the bottom of the fourth. Tyler Gilbert and Rashid Muhammad also singled in runs for the Bearcats, while Malik Berrien drove in two more in the fourth inning to shorten the Tigers' lead, 10-5.
An error and three-run home run by
Troy Davis moved the Tigers' lead to 15-5. Rust added two more runs in the fifth and three in the sixth inning.
Raymond Clark (1-0) recorded the win with four innings pitched, allowing five earned runs off five hits and two walks. He struck out seven.
Mason Mergenthal and Deutre Dunklin also pitched.
Kelly hit 4-for-5 with three runs scored in the first game, while
Matt Rivers was 3-for-5.
GAME 2: RUST 7, STILLMAN 5
Matt Rivers and
Devin Kelly each hit 2-for-4 in the second game. After Xavier Campbell homered in the first inning to give Rust a 1-0 lead,
Sieas Elliot evened the score with a home run to right in the bottom of the first.
Rust took the lead with a four-run second inning off only two hits.
Stillman rallied with a four-run top of the sixth inning to tie the game, 5-5.
Michael Glover's one-out double set up an RBI single by
Troy Davis. A balk plated another run. Rivers also doubled to score two more runs to tie the game.
Rust capitalized on a two-run error in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead.
Isidro Jimenez Rosario (0-1) was charged for the loss.
NEXT: Stillman College (9-16) is scheduled to host No. 15 Loyola University in a three-game Southern States Athletic Conference series at Tiger Field this Friday and Saturday.
