TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Stillman College baseball team used late offense and strong pitching to sweep a doubleheader from Voorhees University, winning 4-2 and 5-4, and captured a pair of HBCU Athletic Conference wins on Friday at Tiger Field.
The Tigers improved to 18-13 on the season, 12-3 in HBCUAC competition, and one win away from clinching no worse than the second seed from the East Division for the upcoming HBCUAC Championship Tournament.
Game 1 — Stillman 4, Voorhees 2
Stillman set the tone early, taking advantage of defensive miscues to grab the lead in the first inning.
Kane Shellhouse came around to score on
Robert Gage's RBI single, and
Davion Wilkins later crossed the plate on an outfield error to give the Tigers a 2-0 advantage.
Voorhees answered in the second, capitalizing on errors to score twice and even the game at 2-2.
The Tigers regained control in the sixth with a decisive rally.
Kameran Belser and Wilkins both came around to score as Gage delivered his second RBI hit of the game, with Wilkins scoring on an outfield error during the play. Moments later, Gage advanced and scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-2.
Stillman's baserunning and ability to capitalize on mistakes proved key, with multiple runs coming via errors and wild pitches.
On the mound,
John Roland was in control throughout, tossing a complete game while allowing just two runs, both unearned, on five hits and striking out five.
Gage led the offense with two hits and two RBIs, while the Tigers made the most of limited opportunities to secure the win.
Game 2 — Stillman 5, Voorhees 4
Stillman answered an early deficit with consistent offense and a late go-ahead hit to complete the sweep.
Voorhees struck first in the opening inning, but the Tigers responded in the second with a three-run rally.
Cameron Sipp drove in a run with a groundout to score
Robert Gage,
Daniel Salter followed with an RBI double to plate
Jonathan Phillips, and Sincere Ford added an RBI single to bring home
Michael Moses, giving the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Stillman added another run in the third when Sipp lifted a sacrifice fly to score
Matthew Rivers, extending the lead to 4-1.
Voorhees battled back, scoring twice in the fourth and again in the sixth, all unearned, to tie the game at 4-4.
The Tigers delivered the decisive moment in the seventh. Sincere Ford reached and came around to score when
Kameran Belser lined an RBI double, giving Stillman a 5-4 lead.
Stillman's baserunning again applied pressure throughout the game, highlighted by
Robert Gage swiping three bases and consistently putting himself in scoring position.
Caleb Vallejo earned the win with a complete-game effort, allowing four runs, just one earned, on six hits while striking out six and working through defensive miscues behind him.
Up Next:
Stillman and Voorhees return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Tiger Field. Senior Day festivities will take place before the game at 12:30 p.m.
