STATESBORO — Tyler Slaton hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning as the Clemson Tigers edged host Georgia Southern 5-4 on Wednesday to split a two-game midweek series at J.I. Clements Stadium.
GSU (17-5) led 4-3 after Ben Morgan drew a bases-loaded walk, and Aaron Palmer’s fielder’s choice drove in two runs in the third inning. The Eagles struck first in the contest as Stryker Brown scored in the first inning on a Chase Griffin double.
The game featured four lead changes in the first four innings. Clemson (13-7) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second after Brown dropped a flyball in the outfield. Brown drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom half of the frame to tie the contest at 2-2.
Drew Moyer came on in relief of Tigers starter Brody Koerner and tossed four scoreless frames to earn his first win of the season. Moyer (1-0) allowed two hits and walked two batters while striking out three.
The Clemson bullpen combined to allow just two Eagle hits over the final 6 2/3 innings. Matt Campbell walked the leadoff batter in the ninth inning but struck out Hunter Thomas to retire the side and earn his fourth save of the season.
The Eagles’ Eric Alonzo allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings and struck out four batters. Alonzo (2-2) suffered the loss after Mike Triller dropped a one-out single down the line in right field before Slaton’s homer.
Caleb Pressey made his first start of the season for the Eagles and allowed two unearned runs on a pair of walks and two hits. Pressey struck out one batter over two innings.
UNF 8, SSU 7
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Savannah State’s four-run rally in the ninth inning came up just shy, as North Florida (10-10) held on to edge the Tigers (9-14).
SSU scored twice in the top of the first inning before UNF tied the game with single runs in the first and second, then lead 7-2 with a single run in the fourth and four in the seventh. Each team scored once in the eighth for a 8-3 Ospreys advantage.
UNF was led at the plate by leadoff batter Corbin Olmstead (2 for 4, three RBIs, HR, double two runs scored). SSU’s Tre Sikes was 3 for 5 with a homer and two RBIs.
The Tigers rallied in the ninth on a single, a fielder’s choice with a throwing error, a walk, a one-out RBI-single and a two-out, three-run fielding error before a groundout ended the game with pinch runner Jacob Lightle on second base.
SOFTBALL
SAVANNAH STATE 11-10, UMES 0-5
Host Savannah State (13-12) swept a doubleheader against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (3-22), 11-0 and 10-5 as first baseman Torrian Wright was a combined 2 for 4 with six RBIs, two homers, three runs scored and three walks.
In Game 1, Amanda McDowell (6-5) pitched a five-inning one-hitter with three walks and five strikeouts.
The Tigers had 15 hits, as five different players had two hits. Wright was 1 for 2 with her seventh homer, third baseman Amber Hallman was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a double; and McDowell was 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
In Game 2, Wright was 1 for 2 with her eighth homer — more than her teammates’ combined total (three).
Amanda Hallman (7-7) went five innings, yielding seven hits and five runs (three earned) with two walks and eight strikeouts. McDowell pitched two shutout innings of one-hit relief, and was 1 for 1 with a three-run double.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
ARMSTRONG 9,
HAWAII PACIFIC 0
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Top-ranked and two-time defending NCAA Division II national champion Armstrong Atlantic State University continued its strong Spring Break trip out west with a 9-0 victory over No. 4 Hawai’i Pacific at the Darling Tennis Center.
The Pirates (13-1) have picked up a pair of 9-0 wins at Darling while Hawai’i Pacific (12-2) saw its six-match win streak come to a close, also dropping its first match to a DII team this season.
Doubles
Aleksandra Filipovski/Barbora Krtickova (A) def. Celina Goetti/Karen Ramirez 8-6
Marlen Hacke/Olga Kalodzitsa (A) def. Lorena Gheorghe/Magdalena Smejova 8-0
Clara Perez/Carolina Prats-Millan (A) def. Vivian Hansen/Lea Kruse-Utermann 8-3
Singles
Filipovski def. Ramirez 6-0, 6-4
Krtickova def. 6-4, 3-6, (10-6)
Hacke def. Gheorghe 6-2, 6-1
Prats-Millan def. Smejova 6-2, 6-1
Perez def. Hansen 6-4, 6-4
Olga Kalodzitsa (A) def. Kruse-Utermann 6-2, 6-2
TOWSON 6, SSU 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Towson improved to 7-4 by blanking Savannah State (5-12) in singles. The doubles matches were not played due to inclement weather.
Singles
Nani Lizana (T) def. Andrea Pavlovic 6-0, 6-3
Ayana Dow (T) def. Angela Bonilla 6-1, 6-1
Sophie Lesage (T) def. Nadin Olsson 6-2, 6-3
Lorena Ferrer (T) def. Jennyfer Vivas 6-0, 6-0
Nisha Shah (T) def. Nicole Ashiedu 6-1, 6-0
Ariel Burke (T) def. Tiffany Williams 6-0, 6-0
Late Tuesday
SCAD 8, ST. THOMAS 1
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — All three doubles teams won for the NAIA No. 3 Savannah College of Art and Design squad, which then won five of six singles matches for the victory.
MEN’S TENNIS
HAWAII PACIFIC 7,
ARMSTRONG 2
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The No. 5-ranked Hawai’i Pacific men’s tennis team remained unbeaten on the season with a 7-2 victory over No. 2 Armstrong at the Darling Tennis Center.
The Sea Warriors (12-0) picked up the victory over the Pirates (8-4) as Armstrong suffered its fourth loss of the season — all against top-10-ranked opponents.
Play began with Hawai’i Pacific taking all three doubles matches to take a commanding 3-0 lead heading into singles play. Hawai’i Pacific notched three straight-set singles wins to clinch the match.
Doubles
Thibaud Berland/Petr Michnev (HP) def. Pablo Gor/Jaan Kononov 8-6
Jaume Martinez-Vich/Mattis Wetzel (HP) def. Ignacio Hernandez/Damian Okrutny 8-0
Adriano Locorotondo/Yann Renault (HP) def. Luca Cerin/Pedro Scocuglia 8-5
Singles
Michnev (HP) def. Scocuglia 6-3, 6-2
Gor (A) def. Martinez-Vich 6-7 (7), 6-3, (10-4)
Kononov (A) def. Berland 2-6, 6-2, (10-8)
Wetzel (HP) def. Hernandez 6-2, 6-7 (2), 10-1
Locorotondo (HP) def. Cerin 6-4, 6-1
Clemens Graute (HP) def. Okrutny 6-3, 6-2
Late Tuesday
SCAD 5, ST. THOMAS 4
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — SCAD notched its first victory of the season, improving to 1-2 by edging host St. Thomas.
The host Bobcats won two of three doubles matches, then the Bees won four of the six singles matches for the victory. SCAD won at No. 1 and 3 singles, and lost at No. 2, for all even at 3-3. SCAD won at No. 4, St. Thomas at No. 6. Darnell Sgubin, at No. 5 singles, won in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to give the Bees the edge.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Late Tuesday
SCAD 11, TAMPA 9
TAMPA, Fla. — Joanna Ehat and Kayla Nelson scored three goals, Charlotte Cutts added two, and Charlotte Waters, Jordan Cook and Torii Clark had one apiece as the top-ranked Bees improved to 9-0, 4-0 in conference play.
Jenny Danko made 18 saves for SCAD.