COLUMBIA, S.C. __ The Tuskegee baseball team split a Sunday doubleheader to start the road series, falling 12-2 before taking a 9-3 win, however dropped the series after a 13-8 loss on Monday at Tiger Field.
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Benedict 12, Tuskegee 2 (Sunday)
Tuskegee could not keep up offensive in the first game on Sunday, falling 12-2 while recording just four hits in the contest.
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TU went down in order in the top of the first, before Benedict got on the board in the bottom of the first when a groundout brought home a run, followed by scores in the second and third to put BC up 3-0.
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The Golden Tigers found some offense in the fourth, as
Stephon Wright was hit by a pitch and advanced on a throwing error. On the next at-bat,
Evan Jones singled through the left side, bringing home the first run for the road team.
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Benedict added to its lead and seemingly put the game out of reach over the next three innings, scoring two in the bottom of the fourth and three in both the fifth and sixth innings to take a 11-1 edge.
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TU scored on a passed ball in the top of the seventh, before the Tigers added its final run in the bottom half of the frame for the 12-2 seven inning win.
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Cody Willis took the loss for Tuskegee on the mound, going four and two-thirds innings, allowing eight runs (three earned) on five hits, striking out six and walking four.
Daniel Williams Jr. pitched for 1.2 innings in relief, allowing two hits and four runs, while striking out one.
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Jones,
Jabari Johnson,
Devon Lee, and
Jerald Bush each collected hits for the Golden Tigers, led by Jones who went 1-for-2 at the plate with one run batted in, along with two of four stolen bases for Tuskegee.
Tuskegee 9, Benedict 3 (Sunday)
The Golden Tigers turned it around in game two of the series, led by
Scott Williams and his four runs on two hits to lead TU past Benedict 9-3 in the second game of the Sunday doubleheader.
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Williams hit a three-run home run to left field in the fifth inning and doubled in the sixth to score one.
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Tuskegee got on the board in the top of the second inning after consecutive singles from
Nicholas Pratt and
Harrison Barnes, with Pratt scoring on a passed ball. After a pitching change, TU scored again on a passed ball as Barnes crossed the plate for a 2-0 lead.
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In the bottom half of the frame, Benedict got a runner in scoring position with a walk and sacrifice bunt before an RBI single made the score 2-1. BC tied the game in the third on a sacrifice fly to right field.
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A solo home run from Barnes gave the Golden Tigers the lead once again in the fourth at 3-2, followed by four more runs in the top of the fifth on five hits, including Williams' three-run homer and an RBI double from Pratt.
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Lee earned the win for Tuskegee on the mound, allowing just three hits and three runs over five innings, while striking out two.
Jaylen Hill pitched two innings of no-run ball in relief, surrendering two hits and walking one.
Benedict 13, Tuskegee 8 (Monday)
The bats were strong for Tuskegee on Monday for the third game of the conference series against Benedict, but it was not enough as the Golden Tigers fell 13-8. Benedict collected 15 hits, while Tuskegee had nine on the day.
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Barnes collected a team-high three hits on a perfect 3-for-3 performance in the loss. The junior doubled in the first inning, singled in the sixth, and singled in the ninth inning.
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Tuskegee earned an early lead in the first after Barnes' first hit, as TU loaded the bases with Williams, Jones, and Pratt all scoring on the double.
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Benedict flipped the game in the bottom of the third, scoring six runs on five hits to take an 8-3 lead. The biggest blow in the frame was a double from Jose Gil that drove in two runs. BC scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth on a three-run homer, before another score in the fifth on a sacrifice fly.
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Cayden Smith started on the mound and took the loss on the day, going two and one-third innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and striking out two.
Tyee Turner worked for four and two-thirds innings in relief for Tuskegee, allowing three hits and two runs, while striking out three and walking three.
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The Golden Tigers tallied nine hits in the game, while Willis and Barnes each drove in three runs. Williams collected two hits on five at-bats, while the team drew seven walks and stole six total bases in the contest.
Up Next
The Golden Tigers return home to host Alabama Huntsville for a midweek non-conference matchup on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting their first SIAC series against Clark Atlanta, scheduled for Saturday at 12 and 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
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