TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Stillman College baseball team exploded for 40 runs across two games and dominantly swept Oakwood University Friday at Tiger Field, winning 20-2 and 20-4, and earning a sweep in the opening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference series.
The Tigers (7-5, 3-0 HBCUAC) scored in nearly every inning of the doubleheader, highlighted by multiple big innings in both games.
Game 1 — Stillman 20, Oakwood 2
Stillman set the tone immediately in the first inning.
Kameran Belser reached and eventually scored on
Tory Huddleston's sacrifice fly, giving the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.
In the second,
Gavin Rehorn tripled and came home on Belser's RBI single, pushing the advantage to 2-0.
The Tigers broke the game open with an eight-run third inning.
Robert Gage started the rally and later scored on
Cameron Sipp's RBI double. Sipp and
Jonathan Phillips followed with runs on
Davion Wilkins' RBI single. Phillips later scored on a bases-loaded walk, and Rehorn and Wilkins came home on
Emile Butler's two-run single. Belser and Butler also scored during the inning, and Gage capped the surge, scoring on a wild pitch as Stillman built a 10-0 lead.
Stillman continued to pour it on with a 10-run fourth inning. Sipp and Phillips scored on Wilkins' two-run single. Wilkins later crossed the plate, followed by
Daniel Salter scoring on an outfield error. Belser scored on a wild pitch, Butler came home after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Gage, Huddleston, and Sipp all scored during the extended rally. Phillips added another run before Wilkins tripled home two more runs, stretching the lead to 20-1.
Stillman pitching handled the rest.
Tristen Henry allowed just one hit and no earned runs over five innings to earn the win.
Game 2 — Stillman 20, Oakwood 4
Oakwood scored first, but Stillman answered with a seven-run first inning.
After Adrian White reached and stole second, she scored alongside Butler on
Kane Shellhouse's two-run single. Shellhouse later scored on
Matthew Rivers' RBI single, and Rivers came home on Robert Pettagrew's RBI hit.
Joshua Harris added an RBI single to score Pettagrew, and Harris later scored along with S. Ford to cap the seven-run inning and give Stillman a 7-1 lead.
Stillman added five runs in the third. Harris scored on a sacrifice fly from Ford,
Collin DuBose scored on White's RBI single, and White later scored with Butler and Shellhouse also crossing the plate during the rally, pushing the lead to 12-3.
In the fourth, DuBose scored on Ford's RBI single before White and Ford scored on Butler's two-run double. Butler later scored on Shellhouse's RBI single as Stillman extended the lead to 16-3.
The Tigers closed their scoring with four runs in the fifth. KJ Mitchell scored on Ford's sacrifice fly, Harris crossed the plate on a wild pitch, DuBose scored on Butler's sacrifice fly, and White added the final run on an error.
Stillman finished with 15 hits in Game 2 and received a strong pitching performance from
Deuntre Dunklin, who worked five innings and struck out six batters to earn the win.
Jonathan Phillips worked two innings of relief with four strikeouts.
Stillman College steps out of conference play to face the University of Mobile on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Tiger Field.
