OZARK, Ala. – Claflin University won the 2016 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Baseball Championship in 10 innings with an 8-7 victory over Stillman College, Sunday evening at Historic Eagle Stadium in Ozark, Ala.
After each team battled back and forth, Claflin (24-28 overall) finally saw a breakthrough in the 10th inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, Reginald Rogers’ walk-off single to left field drove in Jeturi Brown who scored the game-winning run.
Stillman (27-24) led 7-4 until the seventh inning when the Panthers scored three runs off five hits and a pair of errors to tie the game at seven.
Claflin struck first and scored a run in the first and second inning to take a 2-0 edge over the Tigers. Stillman’s Hank Parker responded in the third with an inside-the-park grand slam that gave the Tigers the 4-2 advantage. Rashad Hilton cut Stillman’s lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single up the middle.
After both teams went scoreless in the fourth, the Tigers pulled away from the Panthers in the fifth with a two-run double from Taylor Ellis and a RBI single by Adam Bonner that extended Stillman’s advantage to 7-3. Claflin answered in the bottom of the fifth after Jabari Brown scored on a groundout.
Claflin outhit Stillman 16-5 and was led by Jeturi Brown’s three hits. Jalen Thompson, Rogers, Bivens, and Hilton each recorded two hits.
Dillon Parker earned the win and pitched six innings. Parker gave up two runs, four hits, and finished with three strikeouts. Wendell Ferguson threw four innings and struck out four batters.
Lyndale Morley was named the 2016 SIAC Baseball Championship Tournament MVP. Parker and Jeturi Brown were also named to the all-tournament team. James Randall was selected as the Coach of the Tournament.
John Hutto recorded the loss for Stillman. Josh Freeman went eight innings for the Tigers and notched a game-high 10 strikeouts. Ellis and Parker represented Stillman on the all-tournament team.
Claflin will find out their opponent and site for the upcoming NCAA Division II Regional on Sunday, May 15. The NCAA Selection Show is at 10 p.m. on NCAA.com.
2016 SIAC Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team
Claflin: Lyndale Morley(OF/P) MVP
Claflin: Jeturi Brown (INF)
Claflin: Dillon Parker (P)
Stillman: Taylor Ellis (C)
Stillman: Hank Parker (OF)
Miles: Jimmy Brown, Jr. (OF)
Miles: Xavius Burden (INF)
Paine: Jalen Horton (OF)
Kentucky State: Kodie Girton (P)
Tuskegee: Jalen Luter (OF)
Claflin: James Randall, Coach of the Tournament
Courtesy: SIAC
