Box Score Postgame Interview with Coach Clark | Postgame Interview with Andre Moore

NORFOLK, Va. – MEAC South No. 1 seed Savannah State scored 11 runs in its final two times at bat to outscore northern division No. 2 seed Norfolk State 21-11 in a MEAC Baseball Tournament winner's bracket slugfest on Thursday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

The Tigers (31-21) advance to the winner's bracket final at 1 p.m. Saturday against the winner of Thursday's later matchup between Coppin State and North Carolina A&T. The Spartans (19-28) play an elimination game at 10 a.m. Friday at North Carolina Central.

SSU capped a wild back-and-forth affair by scoring four times with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead for good. With two runners on and trailing 11-10, Tiger outfielder David Richards had the big hit, an RBI double into the gap in right-center off NSU reliever Ray Morton. The Spartan outfield misplayed the hit, which allowed both base runners and Richards to score to give the Tigers a 13-11 lead. Lee Moore followed with a double of his own and scored on the fourth NSU error of the day to make it 14-11.

After taking the lead in the seventh, the Tigers tacked on seven more in the eighth to end the game early by the 10-run rule. Peter Poole ended it with an RBI single to left-center, scoring Todd Hagen.

The Tigers scored early and often, but had a hard time shaking off a game NSU squad in the early going. SSU scored at least one run in its first five innings. A four-run outburst in the third gave the Tigers an 8-2 lead. But NSU erupted for six runs in the top of the fourth, matching its largest inning of the year, to tie things. Andre' Moore lined a two-run single up the middle to start the rally. Killian Strenn and Zach Markel followed with back-to-back RBI singles and Cameron Day capped the rally with a two-run triple to tie it.

The Tigers battled back with single runs in the fourth and fifth and led 10-9 after five before Moore struck again. The freshman center fielder hit a two-out, two-run triple to deep right field off SSU reliever Eric Ricks to give the Spartans an 11-10 edge.

Hagen and Lee Moore both went 4-for-6 for SSU. Parker Nix and Mendez Elder added three apiece. The Tigers tallied NSU opponent season highs in runs (21), hits (22) and stolen bases (six).

For NSU, Moore went a career-best 3-for-4 with four RBI, doubling his career total entering the game. Markel went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Day and Strenn each had two hits and two RBI. Robert Reaume was 2-for-5 with two runs and Ryan Montgomery went 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

Morton (3-3) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) in 1.2 innings. Ricks (3-1) earned the win after pitching the final 3.2 innings. He gave up five hits and two runs.