ALBANY, Ga. I Tuskegee (28-11, 18-1 SIAC) defeated Benedict 9-0 on Friday before taking a 1-0 win over Spring Hill to advance to the SIAC championship game at the Gordon Sports Complex.
Tuskegee 9, Benedict 0 (5 Inn.)
After a scoreless opening inning,
Cecelia Tennessee (Houston, Texas) started off the second with a single to right and was followed by a bunt single from
Nylah Strange-Lindley (Sulphur Springs, Texas) and a walk during the next at-bat to load the bases.
Myracle Hawkins (Morrow, Ga.) later drove in a pair of runs with a double to left center, while
Kendra Gibbons (Lineville, Ala.) drove in Hawkins soon after with a single. The Golden Tigers scored their final run of the frame on a sacrifice fly from
Kaeley Roldan (Wahiawa, Wi.) to bring home
Jayme Marbury (Alexander City, Ala.) to take a 4-0 lead.
Tuskegee added runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 6-0 advantage, as
Jada Chadwick (Columbus, Ga.) was hit by a pitch and later scored on a passed ball, followed by an RBI single from Tennessee in the top of the fourth.
Gibbons added to her totals in the fifth with another RBI single, followed by a triple from
Kayla Wright (Millbrook, Ala.) to left field to bring home Gibbons and
Lauryn Wilson (Corona, Calif.) for the final.
Gibbons led Tuskegee at the plate, going 3-for-4, along with a pair of runs batted in and one score. Hawkins, Tennessee, and Wright all added two hits each, with Hawkins also scoring two runs. In the circle,
Ayriana Stoneback (Notasulga, Ala.) struck out five and allowing just one baserunner in five innings of work.
Tuskegee 1, Spring Hill 0
Tuskegee found themselves in a pitching duel in the early game on Saturday, with First Team All-SIAC pitchers on both sides.
After both teams failed to advance runners in the first, the Badgers were the first to record a hit with a single to right field to start the second inning, yet still could not advance.
Gibbons earned the first hit for the Golden Tigers with a single in the third frame, however Tuskegee did not get another runner on base until the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the seventh and still tied, Tennessee reached base on an error, followed by a single from
Dyamond Brown (McDonough, Ga.) to put runners on first and second. On the next at-bat, another Badger error allowed Tennessee to score the winning run.
Three Golden Tigers earned hits in the game – Brown, Gibbons, and
Alexis Paredes (Pelham, Ala.). Meanwhile, Stoneback picked up her third win of the tournament, pitching a complete game and allowing just three hits and striking out six.
Up Next
Tuskegee are scheduled to return to the diamond for the SIAC Championship on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. (ET).
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