SAVANNAH, GA | With their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, The Morehouse Maroon Tigers entered Saturday's doubleheader against Savannah State neding a sweep to keep their SIAC Tournament hopes alive. Morehouse managed a split, dropping the first game in a heart-breaker, but rebounded to win the nightcap. Despite a valiant effort, the Maroon Tigers' season concluded without a SIAC tournament berth. To qualify for the SIAC Baseball Tournament, Morehouse needed not only a sweep but also help from other series outcomes involving Tuskegee, Clark-Atlanta, or Lane. The Maroon Tigers took care of their business Friday with gritty performances on both sides of the ball, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Game One: Savannah State 5, Morehouse 4
Morehouse opened the scoring when
Robert Robinson delivered an RBI hit, driving in
Elijah Pinckney to give the Maroon Tigers a 1-0 lead. The Maroon Tigers added two more runs.
Darrien Chapman reached base and advanced on a hit by
Nicholas Pittman. A combination of small ball and situational hitting led to a pair of runs, pushing the Morehouse lead to 3-0. Morehouse manufactured another run. After a walk and a stolen base, a key RBI opportunity was cashed in, stretching the Maroon Tigers' lead to 4-0.
Savannah State broke through against Morehouse starter
Noah Grayson, scoring two runs to trim the Maroon Tigers' lead to 4-2. Savannah State added another run in the eighth, creeping closer and making it a 4-3 ballgame.
In a heartbreaking finish, Savannah State rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. A combination of hits and a Morehouse defensive miscue allowed Savannah State to walk off with a 5-4 victory, handing Morehouse a devastating loss in the opener.
Game Two: Morehouse 8, Savannah State 3
Morehouse struck first again. After
Elijah Pinckney reached base,
Elijah James lifted a sacrifice fly to bring him home, giving Morehouse a 1-0 lead. Savannah State tied the game, scoring one run off starter
Quenton Mitchell Jr., evening the score at 1-1.
Savannah State took the lead, pushing across two runs to grab a 3-1 advantage over Morehouse.
Facing a deficit, the Maroon Tigers responded in a massive way.
Vernon Clay singled home a run. Next,
Elijah James drove in two more runs with a key base hit. Finally,
Myles Tucker smashed a triple into the gap to bring home another run. Morehouse took advantage of Savannah State errors and walks to complete a six-run eruption, vaulting to a 7-3 lead.
Morehouse added an insurance run when
Vernon Clay delivered a sacrifice fly, scoring another runner to push the lead to 8-3.
Quenton Mitchell Jr. and the Maroon Tigers defense slammed the door the rest of the way. Savannah State was held scoreless over the final four innings, and Morehouse secured the 8-3 victory.
Outlook
In Game 1, Morehouse led most of the way but saw the game slip away late as Savannah State completed a comeback. In Game 2, after briefly trailing, Morehouse's huge fourth inning flipped the momentum for good, as the Maroon Tigers powered their way to a convincing win. With the split, Morehouse concluded their season with an overall record of 19-24 and a conference record of 12-21. Despite the strong finish, the Maroon Tigers fell short of qualifying for the SIAC Baseball Tournament. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com.
