TUSKEGEE, Ala. — The Tuskegee baseball team dropped both games of an SIAC home doubleheader to Kentucky State on Saturday afternoon at Washington Field, falling 13-11 in game one before dropping the nightcap 12-4 in seven innings.
 
The Golden Tigers move to 7-16 overall while the Thorobreds improved to 5-17 as the conference series heads into Sunday's finale.
 
Kentucky State 13, Tuskegee 11
Kentucky State used an explosive third inning to take control early in the opener. After scoring single runs in the first and second innings, the Thorobreds erupted for six runs in the third, highlighted by RBI hits from Cameron McDonald and Brady Woodridge to stretch the lead to 9-0.
 
Tuskegee answered in the bottom half of the inning when Jordan Spencer delivered a sacrifice fly to score Thavious Neal and put the Golden Tigers on the board.
 
Kentucky State added another run in the sixth to push the margin to 10-1, but Tuskegee began chipping away in the bottom half of the frame. The Golden Tigers plated three runs in the sixth, sparked by a double from Mario Craig and timely hits from the middle of the order to cut the deficit to 10-4.
 
Tuskegee's biggest push came in the eighth inning, when the Golden Tigers erupted for seven runs to tie the game at 11-11. Craig and Chris Smith delivered key hits in the rally while Jabari Johnson and Spencer added RBIs as Tuskegee strung together multiple base runners and capitalized on defensive miscues to erase the deficit.
 
The Thorobreds responded immediately in the top of the ninth, loading the bases before pushing across two runs to regain the lead at 13-11. Tuskegee was unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning as Kentucky State held on to secure the opening game.
 
Tuskegee finished with 11 runs on 11 hits, led by Jordan Spencer, who collected three hits and an RBI, while Craig added two hits including a double. Smith and Johnson each drove in runs during the late comeback effort.
 
Kentucky State tallied 13 runs on 13 hits, paced by Brady Woodridge, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs, while Ryan Campbell and Cameron McDonald each recorded multi-hit performances.
 
Kentucky State 12, Tuskegee 4 (7 innings)
Kentucky State again jumped ahead early in the second game, scoring in the first inning before breaking the game open in the third inning with six runs to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
 
The Thorobreds strung together multiple hits during the inning, including run-scoring singles and extra-base hits to build the large advantage.
 
Tuskegee broke through in the fourth inning when Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to score Neal and put the Golden Tigers on the board.
 
The Golden Tigers added momentum in the sixth inning, plating three runs after Craig doubled to start the rally. Smith followed with a pair of hits, and Tuskegee capitalized on timely contact to trim the deficit to 9-4.
 
Kentucky State quickly responded in the seventh inning, adding three more runs to extend the lead to 12-4, securing the run-rule victory.
 
The Thorobreds finished the game with 12 runs on 12 hits, led again by Brady Woodridge, who recorded three hits including a home run, while Ryan Campbell, Cameron McDonald and Harry Major contributed RBIs.
 
Tuskegee was limited to four runs on four hits, with Smith recording two hits, while Craig added a double and Johnson drove in a run.
 
Up Next
The SIAC conference weekend series between Tuskegee and Kentucky State will conclude Sunday at 12 p.m. at Washington Field.
 
How to Follow the Golden Tigers 
For complete information on Tuskegee Golden Tigers Baseball, visit GoldenTigerSports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.   
  Read Full Article