ATLANTA, GA | Morehouse protected home field and completed a conference doubleheader sweep of LeMoyne-Owen on Saturday, taking the opener 7-5 before rolling to an 11-1 win in the seven-inning nightcap. The Maroon Tigers got timely power all day, highlighted by
Robert Robinson Jr.'s four home runs across the twinbill, while
Elijah James and the pitching staff delivered key contributions as Morehouse controlled the day from start to finish.
Game 1: Morehouse 7, LeMoyne-Owen 5
Morehouse had to answer several LeMoyne-Owen pushes in the opener, but the Maroon Tigers never let the game get away. After falling behind 4-2 through four innings, Morehouse tied it in the fifth and then broke through for the decisive three-run burst in the seventh to secure the conference win.
Scoring summary
Morehouse struck first in the bottom of the first when Robert Robinson launched a solo home run to right-center. The Magicians answered in the second on a Cedric Poellnitz solo shot, but Nicholas Pittman matched it with a solo homer in the bottom half to keep the game even at 2-2. LeMoyne-Owen then took control briefly in the third and fourth, getting a two-run single from Poellnitz and an RBI walk from Nate Sanchez to move ahead 4-2. The Maroon Tigers answered in the fifth when Elijah Pinckney doubled, T.J. Whiteman brought him home with an RBI double, and Elijah James added a run-scoring fielder's choice to tie the game. In the seventh, James delivered the biggest swing of the opener, crushing a three-run homer to left-center to score Whiteman and Raymond Jenkins and put Morehouse in front for good. LeMoyne-Owen scratched across one run in the ninth, but Morehouse closed the door from there.
Key moments
The game turned in the seventh. Morehouse had already erased the deficit, but James' three-run blast gave the Maroon Tigers breathing room and changed the feel of the afternoon. Ian Makle was also huge in relief, settling the game after the Magicians built their early lead and striking out seven over four innings to help Morehouse regain momentum.
Team Comparison
- Hits: Morehouse 13, LeMoyne-Owen 7
- Errors: Morehouse 0, LeMoyne-Owen 1
- Home runs: Morehouse 3, LeMoyne-Owen 1
- Strikeouts by pitchers: Morehouse 11, LeMoyne-Owen 4
Morehouse Leaders
- Elijah James: 2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 1 run
- TJ Whiteman: 2-for-4, double, walk, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Elijah Pinckney: 2-for-5, double, run scored, stolen base
- Nicholas Pittman: 2-for-3, HR, RBI, run scored
- Caleb Harley: 2-for-3, walk, stolen base
- Ian Makle: 4.0 innings, 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 7 strikeouts, win
Game 2: Morehouse 11, LeMoyne-Owen 1
The nightcap was all Morehouse. The Maroon Tigers jumped on the Magicians early, kept adding on, and backed the offense with dominant pitching to cruise to the sweep. By the time the sixth inning ended, Morehouse had blown the game open and turned the second game into a runaway.
Scoring summary
Morehouse set the tone in the first inning, scoring twice on an Elijah James sacrifice fly and a Myles Tucker RBI double. In the second, Robinson went deep to center for a two-run homer to make it 4-0. He did it again in the fourth, another two-run blast to center, stretching the lead to 6-0. LeMoyne-Owen's only run came in the fifth on an Ibrahim Marrero solo homer, but Morehouse answered right back in the bottom half when Alec Waller scored on a Tripp Braswell RBI reach on an error. The Maroon Tigers then buried the Magicians with a four-run sixth: Robinson belted his third homer of the game, Braswell lined a two-run single to left-center, and Caleb Harley added an RBI single to make it 11-1.
Key moments
Robinson's power show was the obvious headline, but Morehouse controlled the game in every area. Cam Simmons was sharp from the start, allowing just two hits and one run over five innings while striking out eight. Once Robinson's second homer made it a six-run game, the Magicians were chasing the rest of the afternoon.
Team Comparison
- Hits: Morehouse 12, LeMoyne-Owen 2
- Errors: Morehouse 0, LeMoyne-Owen 2
- Home runs: Morehouse 3, LeMoyne-Owen 1
- Strikeouts by pitchers: Morehouse 10, LeMoyne-Owen 3
Morehouse Leaders
- Robert Robinson: 3-for-4, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 runs
- Caleb Harley: 2-for-3, walk, 2 runs, RBI, stolen base
- Tripp Braswell: 1-for-4, 3 RBI
- Elijah James: 1-for-4, double, RBI, run scored
- Myles Tucker: 1-for-3, double, walk, RBI, run scored
- Cam Simmons: 5.0 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 8 strikeouts, win
Up Next
Morehouse will try to finish off the conference series sweep when the Maroon Tigers return to face LeMoyne-Owen in the series finale. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com.
