LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Stillman College baseball team got the HBCU Athletic Conference series sweep over the Philander Smith University Panthers. However, it wasn't easy, as it took a 25-20 effort to win Sunday afternoon on the road.
Philander jumped on the Tigers early with six runs in the all in the first capped by an RBI-single for Aiden Serda. The Panthers then added two more runs on a wild pitch score by Zay Dyer and an RBI from Chandler Morrow to take a commanding 8-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
Stillman posted some runs in the top of the fourth, starting with a solo homer to left field,
Javian Rives scored on a balk from third base, and
Daniel Salter grounded out for an RBI as
Elijah Anderson scored to cut the lead to 8-3.
PSU responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth where Morrow received a hit-by-pitch RBI, while Miles Hawkins and Cameron Russey scored on wild pitches to go up 11-3.
Then, a big inning came for the Tigers, with 11 runs scored in the fifth.
Thedrick Harris started the party with a grand slam to left field as Anderson, Rives and
Avery Prichard scored on the play.
Kobe Lewis used a sacrifice fly to center field to knock in
Michael Moses.
Later in the fifth, Prichard doubled to center field to bring in
Davion Wilkins, which was followed by
Kameran Belser scoring on a balk.
Samuel Fleming hit one into left field for an RBI as Prichard crossed home plate. Two batters later, Harris hit a three-run double to right center as Anderson, Rives and Fleming all touched home to finish the huge inning for Stillman.
Scoring resumed in the sixth after Fleming reached first on an error but still received an RBI as Belser scored. Rives hit an RBI single up the middle to bring in Lewis, followed by Fleming scoring on a balk. Harris muscled a single to right field to bring in Rives to cap the sixth inning and move the score to 18-11.
The Panthers added a run in the sixth to make the game 18-12 when Serda recorded a sacrifice fly to center field as Russey scored.
However, the Tigers were not done piling on runs as Belser scored on a wild pitch and Prichard registered a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Lewis in from third to up 20-12.
Stillman put together a five-run top of the eighth, starting with a homer from
Tory Huddleston. Wilkins garnered an RBI single to second base to help
John Roland Jr. score. Belser got a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Moses,
Thomas Stovall followed with an RBI-single to left field for Wilkins to cross home, and Huddleston got his second RBI of the half inning with a single up the middle to bring in Stovall for a commanding 25-12 lead for the Tigers.
Philander Smith rallied in the eighth with seven runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by two RBIs for Quincy Jones and capped by Noah Siedenschwarz scoring on a wild pitch to close the gap to 25-19.
Then, in the bottom of the ninth, PSU added one more run as Serda scored on a wild pitch. However, this was the final run for the Panthers, who lost to the Tigers 25-20 and gave Stillman the series sweep.
Thedrick Harris turned in a breakout performance with eight RBIs on 3-for-5 hitting with a grand slam and double for extra base hits.
Samuel Fleming posted three RBIs and three runs scored on 4-for-5 hitting at the plate—Belser, Lewis, Prichard and Moses all secured steals.
Gavin Rehorn went 0.1 innings in the start but gave up six earned runs, two walks and two hits.
Caleb Vallejo logged the most innings, with 3.2 worth of work. Vallejo finished with four strikeouts alongside five earned runs and five hits.
Ashton King earned the win with 1.2 innings of work and two strikeouts.
Xavier Reyna threw two innings, registered a strikeout, but allowed seven earned runs and four hits.
Raymon Vaughn closed the final 1.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts, a hit and an earned run allowed.
Stillman College returns to work on March 7 with a doubleheader at home against Wilberforce (Ohio) University. The first pitch is set for a noon start at Tiger Field.
