FAIRFIELD, Ala. – The Stillman College baseball team battled with the Claflin University Panthers, but a late-inning rally by Claflin lifted the Panthers to an 11-6 victory Friday afternoon at historic Rickwood Field. 

Troy Davis started the scoring for Stillman (1-3) with a sacrifice fly to right field, which allowed Devin Kelly to score from third to put the Tigers up 1-0.

Claflin responded in the second with a two-RBI single from Tyler Gilbert to go up 2-1. In the bottom of the same inning, Kelly knocked in two runs with a single to right field as Gavin Rehorn and Isiah Hoskins crossed home to put the Tigers up 3-2. 

The Panthers scored three straight runs in the third and fifth capped by a two-RBI double from Kimon Quarles to go up 5-3. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Stillman smashed back-to-back homers with a two-run homer from Troy Easterling to tie the game, followed by a solo shot from Cameron Sipp to put the Tigers on top 6-5. 

Unfortunately, the remainder of the game belonged to Claflin as the Panthers scored two runs in the sixth and seven runs in the top of the seventh to come away with a 14-6 win. 

Kelly and Easterling both finished with two RBIs, while Rehorn posted a 2-for-2 effort at the plate with a walk and a stolen base.

Griff Minor threw five innings with four strikeouts while surrendering eight hits and two earned runs. Jaxon Pearson threw 0.2 innings with a hit allowed and two earned runs. Caleb Vallejo posted 0.1 innings with two hits and two earned runs surrendered. Caleb Schrener allowed three earned runs and walked a pair of batters. Xavier Reyna wrapped the game with an inning of work with a strikeout and two hits allowed. 

Stillman College baseball returns to action at 8:30 a.m. against Southern University at New Orleans. The matchup will not count in the HBCU Athletic Conference standings, but will affect the overall record.