MACON, GA | No. 5 Morehouse refused to let its season end Sunday night, storming back from a six-run deficit to defeat No. 6 Benedict, 15-11, in the fourth round of the 2026 SIAC Baseball Tournament with the win in the elimination bracket. The Maroon Tigers trailed 10-4 after four innings, but an eight-run fifth inning flipped the game, and Morehouse leaned on a gritty pitching effort from Vernon Clay on one day of rest before freshman Tripp Braswell closed the door for the save after earning the win earlier in the day. The victory keeps Morehouse alive and sends the Maroon Tigers into the elimination bracket final against No. 1 Spring Hill.
Morehouse 15, Benedict 11
Scoring Summary
Benedict struck first in the second inning when Joshua Medina homered to right field, but Morehouse answered immediately. Elijah James walked, Cam Simmons was hit by a pitch, and after a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, James scored on a wild pitch. Robert Robinson Jr. then delivered the first major swing of the night, launching a two-run homer to left to give Morehouse a 3-1 lead.
The third inning swung hard in Benedict's favor. The Tigers scored seven runs in the frame, using a Morehouse error, a passed ball, an RBI single, a hit batter with the bases loaded and back-to-back run-scoring walks to take an 8-3 lead. Benedict added two more in the fourth on Cameron Haley's two-run homer, stretching the margin to 10-3 before Morehouse got one back in the bottom half on Myles Tucker's RBI double that scored Elijah Pinckney.
Then came the fifth — and the Maroon Tigers changed the game completely. Mariano McLean walked, Elijah James singled and Cam Simmons walked to load the bases. Chase Williams drove in a run with a groundout, and Benedict elected to intentionally walk Robinson Jr. to reload the bases. Pinckney made the Tigers pay with a two-run single to right-center, Tucker followed with an RBI double, and TJ Whiteman brought in another run with a sacrifice fly. Braswell then tripled to left to score Tucker, and McLean capped the inning with a two-run homer down the right-field line. By the time the inning ended, Morehouse had scored eight runs on five hits and turned a 10-4 deficit into a 12-10 lead.
Benedict pushed one run across in the eighth, but Braswell limited the damage after entering with traffic on the bases. Morehouse answered with three important insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Simmons walked, Robinson Jr. was intentionally walked for the third time, Kendyn Fredieu walked to load the bases, and a passed ball scored Simmons. Whiteman then singled to left-center to plate Fredieu and Robinson Jr., giving the Maroon Tigers the final 15-11 margin.
Key Moments
The fifth inning was the difference, but the game turned because Morehouse's offense kept forcing Benedict to make difficult decisions. Robinson Jr. was intentionally walked three times, including in the fifth and eighth innings, and each time the Maroon Tigers found production around him. Pinckney's two-run single after one of those intentional walks was one of the biggest at-bats of the night, and Tucker, Whiteman, Braswell and McLean all followed with run-producing swings.
On the mound, Clay gave Morehouse exactly what it needed. Pitching on one day of rest, Clay entered in the fifth after Benedict had built a 10-4 lead and settled the game. He threw three innings, allowed no hits, struck out three and kept the Maroon Tigers within striking distance while the offense mounted the comeback. His line included one run charged after he exited in the eighth, but his work through the fifth, sixth and seventh innings was the bridge that allowed Morehouse to take control.
Braswell continued his huge tournament day. After earning the win in Morehouse's earlier elimination-bracket victory, the freshman came back and recorded the final six outs against Benedict. He worked two hitless innings, struck out one and earned the save, showing poise in a high-pressure spot with Morehouse trying to protect a late lead and extend its season.
Team Comparison
- Hits: Morehouse 11, Benedict 6
- Errors: Morehouse 1, Benedict 0
- Extra-base hits: Morehouse had five — two doubles, one triple and two home runs; Benedict had four — two doubles and two home runs.
- Walks drawn: Benedict 15, Morehouse 14
- Runners left on base: Benedict 14, Morehouse 11
- Big inning: Morehouse scored eight runs in the fifth; Benedict scored seven in the third
- Pitching finish: Morehouse held Benedict hitless over the final five innings
Morehouse Leaders
- Myles Tucker: 3-for-3, two doubles, two RBI, one run and two walks.
- Mariano McLean: 2-for-3, home run, two RBI, two runs and two walks.
- Robert Robinson Jr.: 1-for-3, home run, two RBI, three runs and three intentional walks.
- TJ Whiteman: 1-for-4, three RBI, sacrifice fly and sacrifice bunt.
- Elijah Pinckney: 1-for-4, two RBI, two runs and two walks.
- Elijah James: 2-for-4, two runs and one walk.
- Cam Simmons: three runs scored, two walks and one hit-by-pitch.
- Tripp Braswell: 1-for-5, triple, RBI and run scored at the plate; 2.0 hitless innings, one strikeout and the save on the mound.
- Vernon Clay: 3.0 innings, no hits allowed, three strikeouts, one run and the win in relief.
Up Next
Morehouse continues its run through the elimination bracket and will face No. 1 Spring Hill in the elimination bracket final, serving as the SIAC Tournament semifinals. The Maroon Tigers remain alive after back-to-back elimination-game wins and will look to keep their tournament push going against the top-seeded Badgers. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. from Luther Williams Field in Macon, GA. The game will also ve streamed on the SIAC Network. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com or on Instagram at morehouse_baseball.
