TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Stillman College baseball team hosted Southeastern Baptist College in the final home games of the regular season, and the Tigers won both games in comeback fashion to sweep the doubleheader Saturday evening.
Stillman won the first contest 8-7 and the second game 7-6 in nine innings.
GAME ONE - Stillman 8, SBC 7
SBC took the early lead with two runs in the top of the first, but Stillman did not stay down for too long.
Samuel Fleming doubled to center field as
Thomas Stovall came around to score.
Troy Davis followed with a single to left field for an RBI as Fleming scored and tied the contest at 2-2.
The Chargers stormed ahead in the middle innings with a run in the second inning, three runs in the third, and a run in the fourth to take a commanding 7-2 lead.
Stillman's wild comeback started in the seventh with a
Sieas Elliot double to left field to knock in
Troy Easterling and
Davion Wilkins.
Griff Minor followed a single through the right side to score
Devin Kelly and
Michael Moses. Fleming came through with a double to center field as Minor came around to score to tie the game at 7-7. Davis put the game to bed with a walkoff single to left field as Fleming slid home to lift the Tigers to an 8-7 win.
Fleming led the way at the plate with a 2-for-4 effort with two doubles and two RBIs. Davis went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Minor notched two RBIs on a 1-for-3 effort, and
Sieas Elliot posted two RBIs and a double on 1-for-3 hitting.
Caleb Schreiner (6-1) earned the win in three innings in relief with a pair of strikeouts. Minor started the game and posted three strikeouts, while
Caleb Vallejo went 1.1 innings and scattered four hits.
GAME TWO - Stillman 7, SBC 6
The Chargers took a 2-0 lead with a run in the top of the first and another in the fourth.
Stillman posted a run in the bottom of the fourth when Fleming singled to left field to knock in
Kobe Lewis.
SBC added a run to take a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
In the bottom of the sixth, Minor earned an RBI on a groundout as Lewis touched home to move the score to 3-2.
The Chargers added a run in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 4-2.
However, the Tigers wouldn't go quietly as
Daniel Salter reached on a fielder's choice and got the RBI as Collin Dubose scored from third to cut it to 4-3.
Kameran Belser singled to centerfield to bring in Wilkins and almost won the game, but Moses was thrown out at the plate with the game tied 4-4.
In the top of the ninth, SBC pushed two runs across after a fielding error helped the Chargers take a 6-4 lead.
The Tigers secured the second rally of the day in the ninth when Salter came through with a hit to right field to bring
Robert Gage home. Salter scored when
Javian Rives reached on an error. RIves then used some smart base running to draw the attention of the defense to him between first and second, allowing Stovall to steal home and win the game for Stillman.
Salter posted two RBIs on 1-for-2 hitting to lead the team. Kelly and Davis posted doubles and Lewis notched a triple. RIves, Gage and Stovall each stole a base.
Xavier Reyna (1-2) picked up the win in two innings of relief.
John Roland Jr. pitched three innings in the start with a pair of strikeouts.
Jaxon Pearson threw an inning a recorded a strikeout,
Gavin Rehorn went two innings and got a strikeout, and in his final home appearance
Raymon Vaughn pitched an inning and did not allow a hit.
Stillman College baseball will now focus on the upcoming 2025 Hope Credit Union HBCU Athletic Conference Baseball Championships, going from April 30 - May 4 at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
