TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Stillman College baseball team battled with the visiting Voorhees Tigers in an HBCU Athletic Conference doubleheader at Tiger Field. In the end, Stillman split the day after losing the first game 16-15 but winning the second contest 5-4. The win meant the first conference series win for Stillman.
Game 1 - Voorhees 16, Stillman 15 (7 innings)
Voorhees struck first and early in the top of the first when Kawan Ellerbe-James Jr hit an RBI single through the right side to go up 1-0.
Stillman responded in the bottom of the first with an RBI single through the right side from
Samuel Fleming to bring in
Devin Kelly.
After the visiting Tigers added a run in the second, Voorhees went on a huge scoring tear in the fifth with 13 runs capped by Calvin Scott scoring on a wild pitch.
Trailing 15-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers started a rally for the ages.
Troy Davis began the action with a two-RBI single up the middle to bring in
Griff Minor and
Kobe Lewis. With the bases loaded,
Javian Rives was hit-by-pitch, allowing Fleming to come in from third to move the score to 15-4.
Kelly singled to third to push Davis across the plate and Lewis followed with a two-RBI single to left field as Rives and
Avery Prichard came around to score to cut the game to 15-7.
The rally continued with Fleming hitting a two-RBI double down the left-field line to bring in Lewis and Kelly. Davis then hit an RBI single through the left side as Minor scored to bring the score to 15-10.
Rives smacked a double to center field for two RBIs to bring in David and Fleming. Salter hit a double to left field and allowed Rives and Prichard to score.
Gavin Rehorn capped the comeback with a single down the left-field line as
Michael Moses scored to tie the game at 15-15.
However, the rally would be for naught as Scott used a sacrifice fly to bring in Keelen Sloan in the seventh to hang on for a 16-15 win over Stillman.
Davis and Fleming both finished with three RBIs in the opening contest. Fleming, Rives, Salter, and Rehorn all hit doubles, while Fleming and Rehorn added a steal apiece.
John Roland Jr. started to contest and pitch four innings with three strikeouts. Roland allowed seven hits, six earned runs, and two walks.
Marshall Bradberry made an appearance and allowed three earned runs and a hit.
Caleb Schreiner pitched 0.1 innings with a strikeout, four earned runs, and three hits allowed.
Ashton King went two innings and struck out three batters, but allowed three earned runs, two walks, and two hits.
Xavier Reyna pitched 0.2 innings with two strikeouts and a hit allowed.
Game 2 - Stillman 5, Voorhees 4 (7 innings)
Voorhees once again jumped on the Tigers early with three runs in the first capped by an RBI triple to center field by Emory Guilford to push the lead to 3-0.
Stillman struck back in the fourth when
Sieas Elliot reached on an error and
Elijah Anderson and Davis scored on the Voorhees mistake.
Davion Wilkins followed with a single through the left side to bring in Elliot to tie the ball game at 3-3.
The score held until the seventh when Eric Green used a sacrifice fly for an RBI to go up 4-3.
Then in the seventh Minor singled through the right side for an RBI to bring in Kelly to tie the game, and
Mekha Hicks ended things by stealing third and coming home after the errant through by Voorhees went into the outfield for a 5-4 win for Stillman.
Hicks and Kelly both finished with two RBIs and a run scored. Kelly, Wilkins, and Hicks all registered steals in the second contest.
Gavin Rehorn pitched all seven innings with a pair of strikeouts. He allowed seven hits and four earned runs.
Stillman College (3-6, 2-1) returns to action next Friday with a doubleheader against Wiley University. The first pitch at Tiger Field is scheduled for noon.
