TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Late-inning heroics and heads-up base running propelled the Stillman College baseball team to a win over the Rust College Bearcats and secured the sweep of the HBCU Athletic Conference series Saturday by the score of 9-8.
Kobe Lewis opened the scoring when he slid into home after scoring on a double by
Troy Easterling who advanced to third on the play. Easterling scored on a passed ball as Micheal Glover drew a walk to put Stillman up 2-0.
Rust took the lead in the second with four runs and added another in the fourth where Clark Troupe Jr. scored on an error to put the Bearcats up 5-2.
Stillman answered in the bottom of the fourth starting with a single to right field from Lewis to plate Mehka Hicks. Glover later used a sacrifice fly to right field to allow Kelly to tag up and cut the lead to 5-4.
Rust added a pair of runs in the fifth and another in the fifth when Malik Berrien scored on an error to push the lead to 8-4, seemingly out of reach.
However, the Tigers rallied in the late innings starting with a two-RBI single from Glover to left field for Kelly and Hicks to touch home.
Trailing 8-6 to the Bearcats in the ninth, the Tigers got every run needed to win starting with an RBI from
Elijah Anderson to right field as
Davion Wilkins scored. Lewis followed with a single to right field to bring
Samuel Fleming home to tie the game 8-8.
With
Devin Kelly standing on third, Lewis baited the defense into trying to catch him stealing between first and second bases. However, an errant throw by the second basemen allowed Kelly to touch home for the walk-off win for Stillman to sweep the series.
Glover finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk; Lewis posted a 2-for-4 effort and totaled two RBIs, two walks and a run scored; Kelly and Easterling each had a double; and Hicks finished with two steals.
Caleb Schreiner (3-1) earned the win, working the final two innings with two strikeouts.
Gavin Rehorn went four innings in his start with three strikeouts. Issac Lopez threw an inning and posted a strikeout.
Caleb Vallejo pitched two innings with only a hit surrendered.
Stillman College returns to action Wednesday with a single game against Talladega College to finish their series from March 28. The March 29 game had to be rescheduled due to the threat of inclement weather. The first pitch on April 9 is set for 1 p.m.
