Sandoval Late Innings Home Run Lifts Tigers Past Morehouse At SIAC Baseball Championship

MACON, Ga.- Johan Sandoval’s two run home run in the eighth inning lifted Savannah State to a 11-9 win over Morehousue in the opening round of the SIAC Tournament on Thursday night at Luther Williams Field.

Savannah State is the #4 seed in the tournament while Morehouse is the #5 seed.

With the score tied at nine in the bottom of the eighth, Julian Grier hit a double down the right field line, advanced to third on a ground out by Hakem Smith and came home on Sandoval’s home run over the left field fence. Kidane Stephens drew a walk and made his way to third on a ground out by Tyler Tucker along with throwing error by the Morehouse first baseman but was unable to add any more runs to the SSU scoreboard.

The win puts SSU in the winners bracket where they will play the top-seed, Spring Hill, on Friday at 5:30 p.m..

Morehouse jumped out to a 4-0 lead with two runs in the top of the first inning while adding two more in the top of the second.

In the bottom of the second, SSU sent seven runners across home plate for a 7-4 advantage.

Stephens drew a walk and Tucker hit a single to put runners on first and second. A balk by the Morehouse pitcher advanced the runners a base and both scored when Gavin Jusino hit a single up the middle. Kijani Clarington was issued a walk and a ground out by Chandler Hicks put both runners in scoring position for Jason Ramos and Grier who both hit RBI singles. Ramos came home when Sandoval reached base on a fielding error by the second baseman and Grier and Sandoval scored on a double to center field by Stephens.

Both teams scored twice in the fourth.

After the Maroon Tigers closed their deficit to 7-6, Savannah State answered when Grier and Sandoval drew walks and scored on Stephens’ single through the left side of the infield to increase their advantage to 9-6.

In the top of the fifth, Morehouse only had one hit but was able to score three times to tie the game at 9-9.

SSU left two runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings but were unable to score.

After scoring twice in the eighth, the Tigers relied on the pitching of reliever Bynton Edge to shut down Morehouse in the top of the ninth.

Edge struck out the first two batters before surrendering a single and a walk to put runners on first and second. The next batter flied out to Grier, the SSU center fielder, for the final out of the contest to preserve the win.

Morehouse out-hit Savannah State 11 to 10 but made three costly errors. The Maroon Tigers stranded a dozen runners on base while SSU left seven runners on the base pads.

Stephens went 2-for-3 at the plate and had four RBI while Grier had two hits and scored three times. Sandoval crossed home plate three times while driving in two runs and Jusino had a pair of RBI.

Austin McCormack started the game on the mound and went four innings. The All-SIAC pitcher gave up seven hits, eight runs and four walks while recording three strikeouts. Edge, who improved to 7-0, went the final five inning and surrendered four hits, one run and four walks while striking out a career-high nine batters.

Savannah State (27-18, 23-10 SIAC) lost all three games in their series with Spring Hill during the regular season by scores of 9-6, 2-1 and 7-4.

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