St. Augustine's Brooks Wins Long Jump at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – Shakinah Brooks (Fr./Raleigh, NC) of Saint Augustine's University won the women's long jump in the college division with a mark of 19-9 at the 2014 Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Thursday, April 24.

Her winning jump was one and one-half inches longer than Melissa Mays of Texas A&M, who placed second with a leap of 19-7½. Ariane Nelson of Indiana was third with a distance of 19-4¼.

Brooks was also part of the Lady Falcons' 4x100 squad which qualified for the college division finals with a time of 45.92. The other members are Shamia Lassiter (Soph./Chesapeake, VA), Ornella Livingston (Fr./Jamaica) and Kandace Thomas (Jr./Canton, OH). They are ranked second nationally in Division II.

Tia-Adana Belle (Fr./Jamaica) of the Lady Falcons was 16^th out of 54 competitors in the college women's 400 meter hurdles championship. She ran a time of 1:00.44.

Belle was also a member of the Lady Falcons 4x400 quartet which qualified for the college division championship with a time of 3:46.42. The squad includes Akeisha Dumont (Jr./Brooklyn, NY), Cherrisse Lynch (Jr./St. Lawrence, Barbados) and Marie-Jeanne Eba (Jr./France). They are ranked second nationally in Division II.
 
COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Xavier relay team clocks a season best at Northwestern

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana  --  Xavier University of Louisiana's Kailey Williams, Devinn Rolland, Tramaine Shannon and Chelsea James ran the women's 400-meter relay in 47.42 seconds Saturday to finish fourth in the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational track and field meet.

It was the fourth time this season that the Gold Nuggets met the A-qualifying standard in this event for next month's NAIA National Championships. The time is the fastest in Joseph Moses' five seasons as XU's coach, and it came from a lineup he used for the first time. Rolland and James have been part of all four A-times.

Rolland again met A-qualifying times in the 200 (24.75) and long jump (19-2 3/4). Both marks were her second-best of the year. Rolland met the B-standard in the 100 (12.12), an event in which she met the A-standard twice this season.

Catherine Fakler produced Xavier's highest finish, third place out of 11 in the 5,000. Fakler's 18:57.83 was her second-fastest time of the season.

Kaylee Moore ran a season-best 12.43 in the 100.

The meet was the sixth of the season for the Gold Nuggets, who are ranked 17th in the NAIA. There was no team scoring.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Savannah State Makes History; Tigers Repeat At Penn Relays

Photo by Thomas Anderson
 COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  --  The Savannah State men's track & field program made history last year at the oldest and largest track event in the nation, the Penn Relays Carnival, and on Friday, the Tigers repeated last year's success.

Cameron Hall, Felton Chinn, Lemaar Shakir, and Randy Thomas ran a 58.25 to win the shuttle hurdle relay on Friday.

The same team captured Savannah State's first Penn Relay Carnival relay win in last year's shuttle hurdle relay.

Shakir ran a 53.17 in the 400 meter hurdles to finish 15^th. Hall ran a 14.13 in the preliminary heat of the 110 meter hurdles. Hall missed the cut for the finals by one slot, finishing in 10^th.

Dolphurs Hayes recorded a distance of 4.60 meters to finish 10^th in the men's pole vault competition.

The SSU relay team of Hall, Justin Leggett, Kenshard Hamilton, and Shakir ran a 41.58 in the 4x100 relay, and a 1:24.52 in the 4x200 relay preliminary heats.
DeAndre Persons, Brandon Davis, Kristopher Ballou and Shakir ran a 3:18.37 in the preliminary race of the 4x400 relay.

SSU junior Asia Stinson qualified for the championship in the 100 meter dash, finishing third with a time of 11.66 in the preliminary heat. The 100m finals will be run on Saturday, April 26 at 3:35 p.m.

Stinson, Aluntrea Davis, Jazy Seay-Blane and Kortney Gray ran a 46.99 in the preliminaries of the 4x100 meter relay, and a 1:39.07 in the 4x200 meter relay.

For more information, including live results, and the events full history, visit www.thepennrelays.com.

Full Results

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Delaware State Hornets sweep doubleheader over Drexel in home finale



COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

DOVER, Delaware  --  Playing at home for the final time this season, the Delaware State softball team (26-15) completed the season sweep over the Drexel Dragons (17-21) in Thursday afternoon’s doubleheader with a 7-2 victory, along with an 8-0 five-inning win.

With these victories, the Hornets not only wrapped up their 2014 campaign with a 17-5 mark at home, but it was the third and fourth time this season DSU defeated the Dragons.  To begin the year, the two squads met twice in the Pirate Snow Classic with the Hornets coming out on top, 4-3 and 6-2.

As for Thursday, DSU took an early 3-0 lead in the opening inning of game one, headlined by a two-run Jessica Madrid RBI-double to left center.

After the Dragons scored their lone two runs of the afternoon during the third because of a DSU error, the Hornets made it a 7-2 ball game over the next three innings, capped off by Sandy Hawthrone driving in her second run of the day with a single through the right side.

Along with her two RBI, Hawthorne went a perfect 4-for-4 to lead the way for DSU’s 11 hits, whereas Madrid went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.  Outfielder Jordan Stamps, on the other hand, went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while both Chloe Oro and Nicole Gazzola scored twice.
In the circle, starter Vanessa Ciocatto (9-5) allowed five hits, a walk, no earned runs and recorded a game-high four K’s in the winning effort.

Game two, meanwhile, began with Delaware State once again taking a first inning lead, this time with a Hawthorne sac-fly RBI and infielder Rochelle Sablay driving in Madrid from second with a single.

With the Hornets now up four after capitalizing on two Drexel miscues in the third, Madrid continued her stellar afternoon in the following inning with a two-run RBI-double, followed by Stamps RBI-singling down the left field line to make it a 7-0 ball game.

To seal the win, Oro drove in pinch runner Nkili Matthews from third with a single for not only her third hit of the game, but DSU’s 12th overall. Additionally, Stamps also went 3-for-3, while Madrid and Sablay both went 2-for-3.

In the case of Rachel Meagley (7-5), who pitched her final game at home in a Hornet uniform, she was two outs away from a perfect game until Drexel’s Ashley Panetta churned out an infield single.  Nevertheless, the Spokane, Wash. native, picked up her second consecutive shutout victory while surrendering just one walk, which occurred in the fifth, and totaling three strikeouts.

With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Columbia Blue & Red will travel to Washington, D.C. to face MEAC foe Howard this weekend for a three-game series.

GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
HORNET SEASON STATS

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

2014 SIAC Track & Field Championship - Day Two Recap

DAY TWO RESULTS / DAY TWO TEAM SCORES
ROCK HILL, South Carolina – At the conclusion of a very windy Day Two of the 2014 SIAC Track and Field Championships, the Lady Rams from Albany State and the Maroon Tigers from Morehouse both hold leads. Albany State leads by 44 points with 120 points collected through two days of competition. Morehouse leads by 33 points with 97 points collected.

In the last event of the evening, Benedict College proudly swept the top three spots in the 3000m steeplechase with Astacia Watkins (12:44.83), Jonnise Pierce (12:53.07) and Mikarla Swann (13:05.65) all finishing well ahead of the competition.

Today marked the conclusion of the heptathlon and decathlon. Clark Atlanta's Tabia Wade (3982) and Claflin's Chante Durrant (3652) finished first and second. Breanna Gates (3636) from Albany State took third. Wade won the 100m hurdles in 15.92 and the javelin with a mark of 33.16m. Gates placed first in the long jump with a mark of 5.11m and first in the shot put with a throw of 9.32m.

Albany State claimed gold and silver in the decathlon. TreVonta McTyre scored 4989 points and Elontavious White collected 4902 points. Kentucky State's Ronald Williams (4811) finished with the bronze medal. McTyre won the shot put (9.85m) and the long jump (6.10m). White (11.35) took first in the 100m. Williams won the 400m dash in 51.16. Morehouse's Michael Wooten broke the SIAC record in the 1500m run of the decathlon with a time of 4:25.98.

On the men's side of the steeplechase, Morehouse's Dahir Mohamed (10:03.85) and Gerald Jones (10:17.38) went 1-2. Benedict's Ediberto Crisanto rounded out the top spots after crossing the line in 10:31.31.

Benedict's Krishanda Campbell-Brown, Paine's Bria McAllister and Stillman's Jacobie Richmond and Sherry Jackson each cleared the high jump bar at 1.52m and gave their all at the 1.55m height. However, Campbell-Brown was the only one to clear the bar after making it over on her second attempt for the outright win. McAllister and Richmond tied for second and Sherry finished third.

In the men's triple jump, one hundredth of a meter made the difference between the gold and silver medals. Claflin's Maurice Dudley jumped 14.52m for gold while Kentucky State's John Jackson finished second with a mark of 14.51m. Third place was claimed by Stillman's Solomon Atosona (2014 SIAC Men's Field Athlete of the Year) with a jump of 14.17m.

The Golden Tigers from Tuskegee picked up ten points in the men's discus after Aaron Bennett threw the discus 45.56m. Phillip Stephens (41.64m) from Morehouse and Claflin's Everett Griffin (40.67m) earned the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Four men's pole vaulters successfully made their way over the bar with Morehouse finishing in the top two spots. Stefan Williams won after trying to clear 4.80m. Williams' last cleared height was 4.15m. Teammate Wooten placed second clearing 3.35m. Benedict's Taylor Mims and Tuskegee's Gregory Coleman both cleared 3.15m for a tie for bronze.

The 2014 SIAC Women's Field Athlete of the Year, Euphemia Edem, won her second gold medal after setting a new SIAC record of 12.78m in the triple jump. Edem broke the record on her first jump. Her mark is also a Division II automatic qualifying mark and places her third in NCAA Division II in the event. Campbell-Brown from Benedict jumped 12.40m for second and Kenya Johnson from Kentucky State took third with a leap of 11.23m.

Albany State and Kentucky State took the top three places in the women's discus. CreeAnn Perkins of Albany State picked up her second medal with a win after throwing 42.18m. Albany State's Brittany Dean finished second with a throw of 38.41m and Kentucky State's Joscilyn Crain placed third with a mark of 37.25m.

On the track, prelims were ran in the 110m hurdles, 100m hurdles, men's 1500m run, 400m dash and 100m dash. Claflin's Dennis Bain leads the pack of hurdlers heading into the finals with a time of 14.02. Jones from Morehouse won the 1500m in 4:14.23. The men's 400m prelims was won by Albany State's Tabareyon Jones (48.03). The 2014 Men's Track Athlete of the Year, Kyran Stewart, won the 100m prelims in 10.51.

Irrion Conaler crossed the line in 14.86 for the top spot in the prelims of the 100m hurdles. Clark Atlanta's Jerriyauna Jarboe placed first in the women's 400m prelims. Benedict's Chamekea Davis took the prelims win the 100m dash.

The final day of competition begins Saturday at 9 a.m. with the men's javelin.

COURTESY THESIAC.COM

SIAC Softball Championships - Day Two Recap

HAMPTON, Georgia — Day two of competition at the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship saw eight exciting games highlighted by comeback wins and offensive scoring surges, capped off with an afternoon matchup between the top two teams in the conference with a berth in the SIAC title game on the line.

Game 5: Stillman defeats Lane, 6-1

Stillman pitcher Ashley Savage registered nine strikeouts with one walk over seven innings as the Lady Tigers defeated Lane, 6-1, in the first game of day two of the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship.

With both teams held scoreless through the first three frames, Stillman scored six runs in each of the next three innings. The Lady Dragons of Lane were victimized by six errors throughout the contest as they were eliminated from conference tournament play.

Game 6: Benedict defeats Miles, 4-2

The Lady Tigers of Benedict overcame a two-run deficit by tying the game in the bottom of the fourth at two, then scoring the game-winning two additional in the fifth as Benedict defeated Miles, 4-2, in the second game of today's tournament play.

Benedict pitcher Shanessa Rees notched three strikeouts with no walks en route to earning the victory. The Lady Tigers advanced to the next round within the loser's bracket, as the Lady Bears of Miles were eliminated from tournament play.

Game 7: Claflin defeats Clark Atlanta, 6-4

Four hits in the fifth inning proved to be the difference maker in the outcome of game five of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) women's softball championship tournament as the top-seeded Lady Panthers of Claflin University topped No. 3 Clark Atlanta University, 6-4, Friday to advance to the semi-finals.

Clark Atlanta (20-22) got an early score in the first inning, but Markea Sheppard's two-run blast gave Claflin (43-6) a slim 2-1 advantage. Senior Alia Williams' RBI double knotted the game at two in the top of the third inning. The scored remained tied through four before CAU freshman Breanna Bailey slapped an RBI double in the top of the fifth inning that put Clark Atlanta back on top. Claflin would answer with two two-run RBI doubles by Erin Lipps and Alice Boone, respectively that pushed Claflin ahead 6-3 to the end of the fifth.

With one last opportunity at the plate, CAU sophomore Asia Nelson hit a solo shot over the left field fence to close the gap, but that would be as close as the Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta would come within the lead.

Claflin advances to the semi-final game against Tuskegee University for a No. 1 showdown of the East and West today at 6:00 p.m. With the loss, Clark Atlanta dropped to the loser's bracket and take on Albany State University at 4:00 p.m.

Game 8: Tuskegee defeats Albany State, 9-3

Tuskegee upended the Lady Rams of Albany State, 9-3, to advance in the winner's bracket. The Tigerettes capitalized on six Albany State errors to score nine unanswered runs after the Lady Rams scored the first run of the game. Tuskegee pitcher Karisa Foye pitched seven innings, recording three strikeouts and allowing two walks. Offensively, the Tigerettes were led by Chante Warner, Roslyn Thomas and Bria Young, who each drove in two runs.

Game 9: Albany State defeats Stillman, 10-0

The Lady Rams scored five runs in the top of the second inning and five additional over the fourth and fifth innings to secure a 10-0 victory over Stillman in the fifth contest of the afternoon at the Gerald Matthews Sports Complex in Hampton, Georgia.

Albany State was led offensively by Toni Coleman, who went 2-of-2 at the plate, driving in four RBI's and scoring two additional, while also drawing one walk. Chelsea Hicks pitched five innings for the Lady Rams, recording three strikeouts and allowing three walks.

Game 10: Benedict defeats Clark Atlanta, 5-3

The second-seeded Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers' conference championship run end with a 5-3 loss to No. 4 Benedict College in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Women's Softball Tournament at the Gerald Matthews Sports Complex in Hampton, Ga., Friday.

Jasmine Sledge's solo blast in the second inning put the Lady Tigers on the board first. CAU had a pair of RBI singles by catcher Alia Williams and pitcher Brittany Gonzalez that gave the Lady Panthers a 2-1 advantage.

Benedict found its sweet spot on the bat with three RBIs in the fourth which put them ahead 4-2. Despite one run in the top of the seventh, Clark Atlanta could not get it going offensively.

With the loss, CAU was eliminated from the conference championship tournament and finished the season with a 20-23 overall record.

Game 11: Tuskegee defeats Claflin, 4-2

Claflin University fell to Tuskegee, 2-4, in the semifinal of the 2014 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) softball tournament.  The tournament, which runs through Saturday, Apr. 26, is being contested at the Gerald E. Mathis Complex in Hampton, Ga.

Claflin opened the scoring in the game in the top of the first inning.  Tuskegee quickly ties the game scoring one run in the bottom of the first.  The Lady Golden Tigers scored one in the bottom of the second to take its first lead of the game.  The Lady Panthers then scored one run in the top of third to knot the game at 2-2.  Tuskegee scored one run in both the fourth and fifth innings to go ahead by two, 4-2.  Both defenses stayed solid over the next two.

The Lady Panthers were paced by Amanda Evans who went 2-for-4 with two RBI's. Elanna Worthy went 1-3 with two runs while Evans was the losing pitcher of record.

Tuskegee was led by Cari Driver who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.  Latifah Kelly was the winning pitcher for the Lady Golden Tigers, who remained undefeated for the tournament.

Claflin will face Albany State tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. in the elimination game.  If the Lady Panthers win tomorrow's early game, they will face Tuskegee in the Championship game at 2:00 p.m.

Game 12: Albany State defeats Benedict, 13-5

Albany State outscored Benedict 11-2 over the last two innings to defeat the Lady Tigers, 13-5, in the afternoon matchup from the loser's bracket of the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship. The Lady Rams will face Claflin in tomorrow's early matchup at 12:00 p.m. The winner will face Tuskegee in the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship game at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday's contests:
Claflin vs. Albany State - 12:00 p.m.
Winner of Claflin/Albany State vs. Tuskegee - 2:00 p.m.

SIAC Baseball Tournament - Day Three Recap

GM 12:  Albany State downs Kentucky State 14-1 (Box Score)

The Albany State Golden Rams advanced to the championship round of the 2014 SIAC Baseball Championship with a 14-1 win over the Kentucky State Thorobreds late Friday night at historic Eagle Stadium.

ASU held KSU (15-38) to four singles and an unearned, sixth-inning run in the contest.  Kentucky State struggled offensively, but also committed five errors in the contest.

Albany State (29-16) scored two runs in the first inning on RBI at-bats before added a run in the second.  The third inning saw ASU tally four runs before adding solo runs in the fourth and sixth innings.  ASU sealed the game with a five-run seventh inning.

Ryan Latner, Robert Latner and Jeromy Arrington each had two hits for the Golden Rams while Marcus Jackson went 2-for-3 for the Thorobreds.

Clifford Peterson worked seven innings, walking three and striking out five for the ASU win.  Josh Dunn (2-8) was saddled with the loss - going six innings and striking out four.

GM 11:  Tuskegee Advances to Championship Game with 12-8 Win (Box Score)

OZARK, Alabama (April 25, 2014) – The Tuskegee Golden Tiger baseball team found the right time to snap a five-game losing skid against the Stillman Tigers as the Maroon and White punched their ticket to the 2014 SIAC Baseball Championship with a 12-8 win.

The game was emotionally uplifting for the Golden Tigers, as Stillman eliminated them last season, beating them twice as Tigers from Tuscaloosa won the 2013 tournament title.

Tuskegee (19-19) took advantage of multiple scoring opportunities and speed on the base paths as they finished with 16 hits in the contest.

Tuskegee scored first, plating four runs in the top of the first inning.  William Buford opened the scoring with a single that scored Cameron Duncan.  Tuskegee 1B Gene Moody then blasted a three-run shot over the left field fence that scored Buford and Cash Oliver.

Stillman (27-17) answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.  Nick Baldelli-Boggs doubled to score 2014 SIAC Player of the Year Fernando Tanaka before Boggs scored on a Brad Sevenish single.

Tuskegee added three more runs in the second and two in the fourth innings pushing the lead to 9-2 after four innings of play.

The teams would trade single runs in the fifth and six innings before Stillman attempted a late rally.
Paul Winterbottom would single in Anthony Delgado and Dustin Dunn in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 11-6.  Tuskegee would respond in the top of the ninth when Travais Hylton singled to right field scoring Danny Barnes.  Stillman would tally two more runs off the bat of Jose Alicea – a double that scored Boggs and Tanaka.  However, the rally would end there.

For Tuskegee, Barnes finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored while Buford went 3-for-5 with three runs driven in.  Hylton, Duncan, Oliver and Moody each had two hits in the game.

For Stillman, Tanaka, Boggs and Dunn each had two hits for the Tigers.

John Bryant (5-6) worked six innings, walking three and striking out one for the win.  Stillman's Tyler Simmons (4-5) suffered the loss allowing three walks while striking out three.

Tuskegee advances to the tournament final while Stillman will face the winner of the Albany State / Kentucky State contest.

GM 10: Albany State stays alive with 12-9 win over Miles (Box Score)

The Albany State Golden Rams continued in their quest for a SIAC Tournament Championship with a 12-9 win over the Miles Golden Bears.  Albany State pushes its record to 28-16 and will face Kentucky State in an elimination contest later tonight.  Miles ends its season with an 18-21 record.

ASU began the scoring early in the contest, pushing four runs across the plate in the opening inning and two more in the second.  After Miles scored in the top of the second inning, the Rams scored again in the third as Albany State built a 7-1 lead after three innings of play.

Neither team would change the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth inning, but both teams would add three runs in the sixth inning, changing the score to 10-4 after six innings of action.

In the top of the seventh inning, Miles scored five runs on five hits as they cut the deficit to 10-9.  Albany State responded a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings for the final tally.

In the game, Gregory Pollet, Gary Mason, Aaron Williams, Jimmy Brown and Kevin Harris each had two hits for Miles.  Jacob Campbell led Albany State going 4-for-5 with four runs scored and four runs batted in.  Reise McDaniel went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and Ryan Latner finished the game going2-for-3 with a run scored.

Allen Fender (3-3) worked six innings striking out two and walking three for the win.  Justin Landgale (3-3) worked 7.2 innings allowing three walks in the game.

GM 9: Baseball Holds off Late Inning Paine Rally for 12-11 Victory (Box Score)

OZARK, Ala. – The Kentucky State baseball team kept its hopes of an SIAC Championship alive by holding off a furious late-inning rally to hold on for the 12-11 win over the Paine College Lions Friday, April 25, at the historic Eagle Stadium.

Kyle Clark (3-for-5, 2 RBI) and senior Mike Swayne (2-for-4, 2 RBI) led the way for the Thorobreds who move to 16-36 overall with their second win at the SIAC Championship. Paine, eliminated after their second loss of the tournament, ends their season at 14-27.

Kentucky State quickly jumped in front of Paine, building a seemingly comfortable 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Lions, who mustered just two hits and no runs through five innings, came alive offensively in the final fours innings, stringing together eight hits for 11 runs.

After the Lions put three runs on the scoreboard in the sixth and two in the seventh, Paine trailed Kentucky State by just two at 7-5.

The Thorobreds regrouped in the top of the eighth inning, scoring five runs to push their lead to 12-5. With the bases loaded Clark hit a single that brought home Darius Hughes. The next batter, Alexander Davie, proceeded to smash a 3-RBI double into the right centerfield gap to give the Thorobreds some insurance runs.

It turned out that KSU needed all of those runs. Paine, the home team on the scoreboard, scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth and went into the bottom of the ninth and final inning trailing 12-9.

Lion centerfielder Joseph Graves led off for the Lions and reached safely on an error by KSU shortstop Austin Railey. The Thorobreds struggled defensively all day, committing six errors as a unit in Thursday's game.

With just one out, Paine loaded the bases before KSU relief pitcher Josh Dunn walked two straight batters, cutting the Thorobreds lead to just one, 12-11. Kentucky State Head Coach Rob Henry decided to stick with Dunn and it paid off as the next Paine batter grounded into a double play to end the contest.

The Thorobreds connected on 16 hits as a team against Paine, the second most in a single game this season. Six KSU starters recorded two or more hits in the game and eight recorded at least one.

Kentucky State starter Josh O'Reel (2-3) earned the win for the Thorobreds after 7.1 innings on the mound. O'Reel, who is primarily the third baseman for KSU, allowed 10 hits and six earned runs while striking out two and walking three.

PC starter Brandon Jackson (2-4) allowed 11 hits and seven earned runs in 4.1 innings of work. Summers struck out three and walked one.

SATURDAY'S CONTESTS

GM 13:  Stillman versus Albany State - 12 p.m.

GM 14:  Tuskegee versus Game 13 winner - 3 p.m.

UPDATED BRACKET (PDF)

COURTESY THESIAC.COM 

TSU Tigers Look to Rebound From Slow Start at OVC Championships

MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama --  Day one was a struggle for the Tennessee State men’s golf team at the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference golf championships. The Tigers fought wind gusts up to 15 MPH on the Par-72, 7,187 yard Fighting Joe course at The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

 

TSU is in 11th place as they shot a 33-over, 321, on the first day of competition. Jacksonville State holds the lead with an 8-under, 280.

 

In the race for individual honors, Camilo Aguado (Jacksonville State), Marco Iten (Austin Peay) and Ted Moon (Belmont) are tied as they entered the clubhouse on Monday with a 4-under, 68. The trio is a part of nine golfers who shot under par.

 

Andrew Warner is currently tied for 26th in the field of 55 after shooting a 4-over, 76. Warner carded 11 pars on the day, including eight of the first 12 holes. Along with two birdies, the senior was even-par after 12.

 

Warner hit nine fairways and found 12 greens in regulation as he used 31 putts on Monday. Warner drained an 18-foot putt on the par-4, 10th, after reaching the green with a 9-iron from 145-yards. The second birdie of the day for the Hendersonville, Tenn. native came on the par-5, 12th. Warner stuck his third shot, a wedge from 135 out, two feet from the pin to set up an easy putt.

 

Codie Welborn dropped four birdies during the first round, the most by any Tiger. Welborn opened the day with his first 1-under on the opening hole. The senior laid up on his second shot, setting up a sand wedge from 105-yards to six feet from the flag, for the makeable putt. Welborn found himself at 4-over through seven, but was able to get down to 2-over after 11 with a pair of birdies and two pars.

 

Welborn hit a driver off the box on the par-4, 8th, finding the middle of the fairway. The Murfreesboro product knocked his second shot 122 yards to 15-feet, and a one putt. On the par-4, 11th, Welborn was able to drop his closest putt of the day, five feet, to sit at 2-over with seven to play. Two holes later, Welborn found himself on the front edge of the green on the par-3, 13th, as his 6-iron off the box came up short. Welborn proceeded to sink an uphill and to the left putt for his final birdie of the round. The four-year member of the Tigers closed out play with an 81 on Monday.

 

James Stepp matched Welborn’s 81 as he carded three birdies and five pars. On the par-4, 3rd, Stepp used a gap wedge on his second shot to within six feet to help him to move to 1-over after bogeys on the first two holes. After a bogey on No. 6, the junior was able to drop a putt from 20 feet away to move back to 1-over on the par-5, 7th. Stepp was once again at 2-over aftre the conclusion of the front nine. The Cheatham, Tenn. native, once again, would get the stroke back with a birdie on No. 10, as his second shot, a pitching wedge, stopped six feet from the flag to set up the one-putt.

 

Blake Burgett scored 11 pars as he hit 10-of-14 fairways and found eight greens. On the front nine, the sophomore finished 8-over, on account of four double bogeys. Burgett would settle in on the back nine shooting a 3-over to finish the round with an 83. The shot of the day for the Nashville product came on the par-5, 17th. Burgett found the right-side fairway bunker off the box, setting up a layup shot to 160-yards out. Burgett, once again, would find a bunker on his third shot on the front side of the green. The first-year Tiger hit his uphill bunker shot to four feet of the pin to set up a putt to save par.

 

Matt Campbell carded a non-scoring 86 on day one with nine pars on his scorecard. The junior continued to hit the ball well as he hit 11-of-14 fairways and found 12 greens in regulation.

 

The second round will begin for the Tigers at 8:00am on Tuesday as Campbell takes to the course. Burgett will tee off at 8:10am and will be followed by Stepp at 8:20am, Welborn at 8:30am and Warner at 8:40am. Hole-by-hole live results from each day of the championship can be accessed through links at OVCSports.com.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU Nuggets, Rush will play for NAIA group titles Saturday

Results:  Women vs. Oklahoma Baptist    Men vs. Tougaloo    Men vs. Oklahoma Baptist

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women's and men's tennis teams have returned to a familiar postseason place -- the championship round.

Both the Gold Nuggets (14-6) and the Gold Rush (11-10) advanced to Saturday's finals of the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament. The XU women, ranked second in the NAIA, defeated No. 10 Oklahoma Baptist 5-1 in Friday's semifinals after a first-round bye. The XU men, ranked 10th, beat Tougaloo 9-0 in the opening round, then defeated No. 25 Oklahoma Baptist 5-0 in the semifinals.

The Gold Nuggets will play No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett for the women's title at 9 a.m. Saturday at XU Tennis Center. The men's final, also a Xavier-Georgia Gwinnett matchup, will follow no sooner than 11 a.m. Georgia Gwinnett's men are 16-0 and ranked third.

The Rush reached the championship round of a conference/unaffiliated group tournament for the 12th consecutive season. The Nuggets reached the final for the 12th time in 13 seasons. Both teams won their group tournaments a year ago as top seeds. But Saturday they'll be underdogs to Georgia Gwinnett teams which beat the Nuggets and Rush at a neutral site in February.

"Both Georgia Gwinnett teams have played at a high level all season. Both are clearly capable of winning national championships," XU coach Alan Green said. "We know we'll have to play at that level Saturday, match them shot for shot, point for point. It's an awesome challenge, but we look forward to the challenge and the competition."

The Nuggets won 2-of-3 doubles matches against Oklahoma Baptist (13-10), then got straight-set singles victories from their 4-5-6 players. Amber Brown won 6-0, 6-0 against Kathryn Sild, Brandi Nelson beat Alex Morales 6-2, 6-0, then Simone-Alyse Ewell clinched with a 6-3, 6-1 decision against Ashley Abbe.

Nelson and Ewell also won in doubles, with Ewell earning her 15th consecutive victory.

The XU women have seven victories this season against ranked opponents, four against the top 10.

The XU men climbed above .500 for the first time this season and won for the fifth time in their last six duals. They dropped two games in a rout of Tougaloo (9-14), then got a dramatic doubles comeback from Viktor Svoboda and Adam Albrecht to put a firm grip on momentum against Oklahoma Baptist (6-14).

After trailing 7-3 at the third flight against Francisco Da Silva and Patrick Sims, Svoboda and Albrecht rallied for a 9-8 (7-4) victory to give Xavier a 3-0 lead in the dual. Tushar Mandlekar won in a singles walkover when Augustin Janssen retired because of injury, then Jordan Harrell clinched with a 6-1, 6-0 decision against Da Silva at No. 4.

Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer, ranked 20th among NAIA doubles teams, knocked off 10th-ranked Marco Carvajal and Dario Macanovic 8-3. It was Montrel and Soifer's second victory of the season against a top-10 doubles opponent.

It was the sixth victory of the season for the XU men against a ranked team, which equals their total of last season.

Saturday's team champions will earn automatic bids to next month's NAIA National Championships.

SCOREBOARD: NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tennis Tournament


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Southern, hosting Grambling, needs strong SWAC finish

Needing a sweep, Jaguars host Grambling in their final home weekend series

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern baseball team can still qualify for the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

But the Jaguars have virtually no margin for error in climbing out of the West Division cellar to grab the last tournament berth from the division.

The glass-is-half-full aspect of this situation is Southern (7-22, 3-13) faces the team immediately ahead of it — Grambling — this weekend at Lee-Hines Field.

“The only way we can go is up at this point,” outfielder D.J. Wallace said. “That’s the way I’m looking at it — and what better series than Grambling, because they’re our rival.

“It’s huge. They’re going to come in wanting to beat us again, and we have to sweep them. That’s the main goal this weekend.”

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Christiansz wants ASU Hornets off to fast start

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Alabama State's tennis team will be in New Orleans this weekend for the Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and men's and women's tennis coach Anuk Christiansz said it is important both teams get off to a good start.

"The women really need to win the doubles point as do the men," Chrisitiansz said. "The women's match (against third-seeded Prairie View), when we played during the regular season, was really close and evenly matched and I know it was a fun match to watch, but we want to pick up the win and the doubles point is very important."

The Lady Hornets (11-13) went out and did what Christiansz asked, winning the doubles point in Friday's match with Prairie View, propelling Alabama State to a 4-1 upset win over the third-seeded Panthers.

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B-CU Leads Way at MEAC Men's Golf Championships

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Bethune-Cookman University golfers Leon Fricker and Ryan Fricker fired 3-under-par rounds on Friday, helping the Wildcats to a first place lead after the opening round of the inaugural Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Men’s Golf Championships. The three-day, 54-hole event takes place at Crosswinds Golf Club in Savannah, Ga.

As a team, Bethune-Cookman leads the tournament after the opening round with a 286. North Carolina Central sits second (299), followed by host school host Savannah State (300).

Leon Fricker, a sophomore from Ivybridge, England, posted a 3-under-par 69 in his opening round, using an eagle-3 on the 18th hole to finish tied atop the individual leaderboard. Leon also posted an eagle-3 on the 10th hole, while scoring birdies on holes four, seven and nine, respectively. Mishaps with bogeys on 12 and 13 cost him a shot at the outright lead heading into the second day of play.

Sitting alongside Leon atop the tournament leaderboard is older brother and classmate Ryan Fricker with a 3-under-par 69. Ryan, a 2013 NCAA Tournament participant, carded an impressive stretch on his final four holes though the front nine, scoring birdies on six, seven and nine. A double-bogey on eight and a bogey on three forced him to sit 1-under-par after the front stretch. Two birdies (10, 18) and seven pars carried him through the back nine.

Seniors Rafael Abad (Valencia, Venezuela) and Matthew McKnight (Lisburn, Northern Ireland) each sit tied for sixth in the tournament field, firing a round of 2-over-par 74 apiece. McKnight carded three birdies in his opening nine holes, picking them up on two, six and nine, respectively. Abad scored two birdies each on his front and back nine stretches.

The final golfer for the Wildcats was senior Emmanuel Petrich (Grand Blanc, Mich.) who finished in 18th with a 5-over-par round of 77. Three tough bogeys on the back nine, mixed with a birdie on 18, carried him to a 2-over-par in his final nine holes.

NCCU’s J.T. Thomas shares the tournament lead with Leon Fricker and Ryan Fricker, followed by Florida A&M’s Kevin Parker (-1, 71) in fourth, and Savannah State’s Brandon Neals (+1, 73) in fifth.

Play resumes Saturday with teams teeing off at 8 a.m. Live scoring for the event can be accessed here, or by visiting GolfStat.com.

The Crosswinds Golf Club is a unique par-72 course with narrow fairways and features five par 5s and five par 3s, along with TiFeagle greens and Bermuda fairways.

The tournament champion and medalist receive an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Selection Show will air Monday, May 5, at 10 a.m. on the Golf Channel.

For news and results on the B-CU men’s golf team, log on to BCUathletics.com and follow the team (@BCUgolf) on Twitter. You can join the conversation with the hashtag, #bcugolf. Make sure to “Like Us” on Facebook at BCUathletics.

MEAC MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND SCORES

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Register Today for TSU Football Summer Camps

Medical Authorization Form for Campers

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Following the conclusion of spring practices and another successful signing day, the Tennessee State coaching staff will turn its focus to hosting summer camps that benefit high school students as well as children from around the Nashville area.

TSU will hold four camps in total, including three prospect camps around the state and the annual Lil’ Tiger Camp on campus.

 

The first prospect camp will be June 1 at Whitehaven HS in Memphis. The staff will then hold sessions in the TSU Indoor Facility on June 6 and at Tyner High School in Chattanooga two days later.

 

Each event costs 25 dollars and will provide students interested in becoming a member of the Tigers a chance to be instructed and evaluated by Tennessee State’s very own coaching staff.

 

The Lil’ Tiger Football Camp will take place from June 9-13 for kids ages 6-14. For a 135 dollar registration fee, participants will get educated in the game of football and have fun running through tires, catching passes and diving into end zones.

 

For more information or to sign-up, click here.

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Alan Williams: FAMU-FSU proposal must be openly vetted, not rushed

Alan Williams represents District 8 (Gadsden County and parts of Leon County) in the Florida House of Representatives and is the House Democratic whip. Contact him at alan.williams@myfloridahouse.gov.   House photo by Meredith Geddings

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  It is the role of the State University System’s Board of Governors to review any changes to academic programs and offerings at state universities. This was a hard-fought settlement between the Legislature and the Board of Governors, placing the responsibility rightfully in the hands of those best equipped to make decisions regarding academics. The decision’s plausible and seemingly prophetic intent was to avoid politicizing higher education.

Recent actions create a slippery policy slope that lawmakers may not be able to recover from.

The proposal to create a new engineering program must allow inclusion and collaboration by stakeholders from both universities. Creation of a separate College of Engineering at Florida State University should be fully vetted by the process described in the settlement, not a budget amendment.

In government, process is everything. Changes in academic offerings and programs are definitely important enough for ...

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PVAMU Tankersley Field Ribbon Cutting, SWAC Baseball Showdown Set For Saturday At 12:30 P.M.

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  -- Prairie View A&M University will hold a ribbon cutting for its recently renovated baseball stadium prior to its doubleheader showdown against Texas Southern on Saturday at 12:30 p.m..  In addition to the ribbon cutting, the university will also formally dedicate the field in honor of former baseball coach John W. Tankersley.

The Wi-Fi enabled facility features 512 total seats (192 chair backed seats) along with a brand new concession stand which contains additional storage space and restrooms.  A press box was erected along with a net/pole backstop and extended team dugouts which are bricked.  Tankersley Field was designed by Brown Reynolds Watford Architects with SSC Service Solutions serving as the project manager and CME Builders & Engineers, Inc. the general contractor.

John W. Tankersley, known as "Coach Tank" to the Prairie View A&M family, was synonymous with Prairie View for over 33 years. He was the chief architect of Panther baseball for 30 years, serving his first stint from 1969-72. During a two-year hiatus from Prairie View, Tankersley served as athletics director at his alma mater, Wiley College, before returning in 1974 and retiring in 2002. 

 

As head coach at Prairie View, Tankersley led his teams to an NAIA district title and five NAIA zone titles. His success on the diamond earned him two Adirondack Big Stick awards, three Bill Ennis Athlete of the Year awards and several NAIA and Southwestern Athletic Conference coach of the year honors.   Tankersley passed away on Oct. 27, 2003 but his legacy will live on forever as the Texas A&M Board of Regents unanimously approved the baseball field to be named in his honor.

 

Admission to Saturday's showdown against Texas Southern is $5 with area youth admitted free of charge.  The ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m. followed by the first pitch at 1 p.m.

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NCAA discusses Southern case

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The NCAA took another small step toward resolving Southern’s Academic Progress Rates case Thursday.

The Subcommittee on Data Collection and Reporting held a conference call to discuss what was learned during two representatives’ visit to the Southern campus April 14-15. The subcommittee is part of the Committee on Academic Performance.

The next step is for the committee to talk with Southern officials about a potential timeline for concluding the case. As of late Thursday, Jaguars athletic director William Broussard said he had not heard from the NCAA.

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Two SUSLA players land in SWAC

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana  --  The SUSLA men’s basketball team placed two players with Division I schools and added three more signees in recent Jaguar recruiting moves.

Freshman point guard Yettra Specks signed a scholarship with Jackson State while forward Telvin Marshall is headed to Grambling.

According to SUSLA stats, Specks averaged 12 points and six assists per game while Marshall compiled 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists per game.

Guard Mark Gray is still choosing between Prairie View A&M and Grambling, according to the Jaguars coaching staff.

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2014 SIAC Baseball Championships - Day Two Recap

OZARK, Alabama — Day Two of the 2014 SIAC Baseball Championship saw two elimination games in the morning and two afternoon games in the tournament's winner's bracket.

GM 8:  Stillman blanks Miles 6-0
The Stillman Tigers faced the Miles Golden Bears in the second round of the 2014 SIAC Baseball Championship, with the Tigers capturing a 6-0 victory.

The Tigers opened the scoring the bottom of the first when Paul Winterbottom scored on a Fernando Tanaka groundout.  In the second inning, Cameron Stallings singled to score Jose Alicea.  In the fifth inning, Stillman added two runs, one on an RBI single and the other on a sacrifice fly.

Stillman would get two more runs in the bottom of the eighth:  first on a Winterbottom double that scored Dunn before Winterbottom scored on a stolen base and an errant throw.

Tiger senior starter Ashton Johnson worked nine innings, striking out six, walking three and allowing only one hit – a single to Austin Freeman.  Miles pitcher Austin Pate threw eight innings allowing four earned runs and a walk while striking out six.

Stillman will meet Tuskegee at 3 pm in the deciding game of the winner's bracket.

GM 7:  Kentucky State Rally Falls Short as Thorobreds Fall to Tuskegee, 5-2
A day after beating top-seeded Albany State in the opening round of the 2014 SIAC Baseball Championship, a Thorobred rally fell short as the Tuskegee Golden Tigers won, 5-2, Thursday afternoon at Historic Eagle Stadium.

Tuskegee plated a run in each the first, second and sixth innings before scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth frame.  In the inning, Travis Hylton singled before Samuel Rodney walked.  Both runners scored when Cameron Duncan singled later in the inning.  The Thorobreds mustered three team hits against Tuskegee but reached base 10 times via walks Thursday's contest.

Junior catcher Marshall Howard went 2-for-2 and scored two runs on Thursday including one in the top of the ninth inning as the Thorobreds tried to come back from a 5-1 deficit. After Howard drew a walk and moved to second when Justin Cain walked, Kyle Clark hit a single to bring Howard home.

Kentucky State had kept things close throughout the game and entered the bottom of the eighth inning behind, 3-1. After loading the bases, Tuskegee's Cameron Duncan hit a clutch 2-RBI single to push the TU lead to, 5-1.

Cameron Summers pitched well for the Golden Tigers, allowing just one hit, but was pulled in the fourth inning after surrendering his fourth walk of the game. Relief pitcher Stanley Smith (1-0) earned the victory after taking over for Summers and pitching 3.0 innings. Smith allowed just one hit and no runs.

Kentucky State starter AJ Garza-Hall (1-7) was saddled with the loss after 6.0 innings on the mound. Garza-Hall allowed seven hits, surrendered four walks and struck out five Golden Tiger batters.

GM 6:  Paine Lions Stave Off Elimination with Ninth-Inning Heroics
The Paine College Lions avoided elimination as they defeated the Claflin Panthers 5-4 in game six of the 2014 SIAC Baseball Championship Thursday at Eagle Stadium in Ozark, Alabama.

Trailing 4-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth, pinch runner Cordale Duncan scored when Jonathan Richey doubled to left field.  Two batters later, Paine faced two outs and runners on first and third; Demonta Streeter hit a shot to left center field to score Jonathan Richey for the game-winning run.

Paine opened the scoring in the game in the bottom of the first inning.  Claflin scored their first run of the contest in the top of the fourth inning before the Lions answered in the bottom of the frame.  Claflin then added two runs in the top of the sixth to build a 3-2 lead.  After Paine scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, the Panthers added a run in the top of the eighth inning to give Claflin a 4-3 advantage going into the final inning.

Paine was guided by Avery Wilson and Streeter, each going 3-for-5 in the game.  Richey and Jon-Tyler Shaw each had two hits in the game.  Thomas Clay paced Claflin with three hits while Johnny Stevenson and Wendell Ferguson both finished with two hits.

Paine's Cornelius Reed got the win in relief, pitching two innings walking three.  Paine starter Adam Martin threw six innings walking five and striking out one before leaving the game.  For Claflin, Darius Boykins took the loss, allow two hits against three batters faced.  Panther starter Anthony Ford pitched 8.1 innings striking out four and walking three.

Paine advances to face the loser of the Tuskegee / Kentucky State contest.

GM 5:  Albany State Remains Alive with 12-5 win over Benedict
The Albany State Golden Rams kept their championship hopes alive with a 12-5 in the first elimination game of the day over the Benedict Tigers.

After plating a run in the top of the second inning, the Rams (29-16) plated five runs in the top of the third, using three bases loaded situations to push runs across.  The Rams also scored in the top of the third, making the score 7-0.

Benedict scored two runs in the bottom of the inning, cutting the deficit to five runs.  Albany State added a run in the fifth, giving the Rams an 8-2 advantage.

Over the final three innings, Albany State outscored Benedict, 4-3, for the final division.

The Tigers out hit the Rams 14-9, but fell victim to four errors in the game.

Rams pitcher Andrew Bacon (7-4) earned the complete game victory, striking out four and walking two over nine innings.  Five Benedict pitchers combined to strike out four in the game.

Hector Carrasquillo went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two runs driven in for the Rams while Ryan Latner finished 2-for-5 with a run scored.  Lashante Grimes led Benedict with three hits and a run while four other Tigers registered two hits each.

Friday's Baseball Tournament Pairings:
9 am - Kentucky State vs. Paine
12 pm - Miles vs. Albany State
3 pm - Tuskegee vs. Stillman
6 pm - Winner of MC/ASU versus Winner of KSU/PC

COURTESY THESIAC.COM

2014 SIAC Softball Championships - Day One ReCap

HAMPTON, Georgia  --  Day one of the eight team double-elimination 2014 SIAC Softball Championships began today with four exciting contests at the Gerald Matthews Sports Complex in Hampton, Georgia.

Game 1: Clark Atlanta def. Stillman, 6-2 (Box Score)

While holding a 6-0 lead through the top of the sixth inning, the third-seeded Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers stunned No. 2 Stillman College with a 6-2 first round victory in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Softball Championship Tournament held today at the Gerald Matthews Softball Complex in Hampton, Ga.

A three-run homer by All-Conference third baseman Breanna Bailey, put the Lady Panthers on the board early in the top of the first inning. Both teams went scoreless through the three innings until freshman pitcher Brittany Gonzalez knocked in one run to give CAU a 4-0 advantage. In an eventful sixth innings, Clark Atlanta produced two runs while Stillman (20-27) gets on the board with a two-run double by Michaela Norman for a 6-2 score that would through seven.

Gonzalez put down five batters in a complete game for CAU while Stillman pitcher Ashley Savage retired 10 batters. CAU senior and All-Conference selection Alia Williams led the Lady Panthers at the plate going 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.

With the win, the Lady Panthers (20-21) advance to the second round game tomorrow at 12:00 p.m., against #1 Claflin University.

Game 2: Albany State def. Miles, 9-4 (Box Score)

The Albany State Lady Rams opened the 2014 SIAC Women's Softball Tournament with a 9-4 victory over Miles College. The Lady Rams improved to 19-24 overall and advanced to the second round to play #1W Tuskegee. The Tigerettes advanced with a 15-0 win over #4E Benedict College.

In the first inning, Miles took advantage of a few hits and errors by Albany State to build an early 4-0 lead. The Lady Rams cut their deficit to 4-3 after Chelsea Hicks singled to score Domonique Bryant and Marks hit a two-run homer. In the second inning, Ambrionna Atkism gave ASU a 5-4 lead with another homerun that scored her and Anria Peterson. Peterson started the inning with a double.

Hicks added another homerun in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Lady Rams a 6-4 lead. ASU added its final three runs in the sixth inning. Malea Maye hit a double to score Atkism. Hicks followed that play with a single to bring home Maye and Bryant to account for the final score.

Hicks led the Lady Rams with four hits and four RBI's.  Atkism added two hits and two RBI's, and Marks also had two RBI's. Alexa Lopez recorded the mound win.

Game 3: Tuskegee def. Benedict, 15-0 (Box Score)

The top-seeded Western Division champion Tigerettes of Tuskegee University scored nine runs in the bottom of the second-inning en route to a 15-0 opening round win against the Lady Tigers of Benedict College.

Latifah Kelly, the 2014 SIAC Starting Pitcher of the Year, pitched five scoreless innings and allowed one hit while retiring 16 of the 17 batters she faced. Tuskegee was led by Karisa Foye and Denavia Harrison, who each hit three-run homers during the second and third innings. 

Tuskegee will next face the Lady Rams of Albany State tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. The Lady Rams won their opening round contest, 9-4, against Miles College.

Game 4: Claflin def. Lane, 8-7 (Box Score) 

Claflin University came from five down to defeat Lane, 8-7, on day one of the 2014 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) softball tournament.  The tournament, which runs through Saturday, Apr. 26, is being contested at the Gerald E. Mathis Complex in Hampton, Ga.

Lane put up three runs in the top of the first to take a quick 0-3 lead.  The Dragons put up two additional runs in the top of the fourth to take a 0-5 lead.  Claflin bats came to life in the bottom of the fourth as they scored four runs off five hits, including a three-run homerun from Briana Pinero, with one Lane error to pull with one, 4-5.  

The Lady Panthers added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take their first lead of the game, 6-5.  Lane's catcher Jasmine McNeal hit a two-run homer in the top in the sixth to help the Dragons regain the lead, 6-7. A two-run single in the bottom of the sixth by senior Amanda Evans gave Claflin the 8-7 lead heading into the seventh inning.  The Lady Panthers held the Dragons scoreless in the top of the seventh en route to the one run victory.

Markea Sheppard led the charge for the Lady Panthers going 3-for-4 with three runs.  Amanda Evans went 2-for-4 with one run and three RBI's and Alice Boone went 2-for-3 with one run.  Erin Lipps picked up her 18 wins on the mound for the Lady Panthers.  

Lane was led by Sherica Bradford who went 3-for-3 with three runs. Shawnae Campbell was the losing pitcher for Lane. Claflin will face Clark-Atlanta tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. in the semifinal round.

Friday's early contests:

Clark Atlanta vs. Claflin - 12:00 p.m.

Albany State vs. Tuskegee - 12:00 p.m.

Stillman vs. Lane - 2:00 p.m.

Miles vs. Benedict - 2:00 p.m.


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2014 SIAC Track & Field Championship - DAY ONE RECAP

DAY ONE RESULTS / DAY ONE TEAM SCORES

ROCK HILL, South Carolina – The 2014 SIAC Track & Field Championships got started Thursday at Irwin Belk Track on the campus of Winthrop University. After Day One, the women from Albany State and the men from Kentucky State scored a total of 61 points and 37 points respectively, to finish the day in the lead.

The 2014 SIAC Women's Field Athlete of the Year, Euphemia Edem, made a huge statement for Stillman with her 6.11m mark in the long jump. With the win and an NCAA provisional mark, Edem now ranks second in Division II in the long jump. Benedict's Krishanda Campbell-Brown and Albany State's Lanequa Borders finished second and third, respectively, with marks of 5.80m and 5.45m.

Tuskegee's Aaron Bennett claimed the title in the men's shot put with a mark of 14.54m on his first throw. Javonte Brooks-Brown (14.15m) from Kentucky State and Albany State's Jamal Quadir (13.84m) rounded out the top three.

In the women's shot put, Albany State swept the top three spots. CreeAnn Perkins (13.23m) finished first and teammates Brittany Dean (13.13m) and Rhenia Bonner (11.99m) rounded out the top spots.

Tre Adderely from Benedict narrowly missed the NCAA provisional mark of 7.17m with his leap of 7.16m in the long jump to claim gold. Stillman's Solomon Atosona, the 2014 SIAC Men's Field Athlete of the Year, jumped 6.98m to finish second. Benedict's Omar Wallace (6.75m) ended in third.

In the women's hammer throw, the 10 first place points went to Kentucky State following Joscilyn Crain's 42.12m throw. Clark Atlanta's Rita-Ashley Cunningham (40.26m) placed second and Claflin's Jessica Crawford (36.41m) finished third.

Morehouse's Cullen Watkins won the hammer throw with a mark of 42.20m. Javonte Brooks-Brown's mark of 39.62m helped him to a second-place finish for Kentucky State. Teammate Terry Horton placed third with a 36.71m mark.

The 10,000m run was the only final running event on Day One. Morehouse's Shinaola Agbede finished in 33:22.94 for the gold medal. Albany State's Albery Murrey won the silver medal crossing the line in 33:41.16. Claiming the bronze medal was Benedict's Ediberto Crisanto with a time of 34:54.44.

Benedict's Jonnise Pierce (48:36.21) and Astacia Watkins (48:37.43) went 1-2 in the 10,000m run. The 2014 SIAC Women's Track Athlete of the Year, Olivia Traylor, finished in third with a time of 48:47.28.

Preliminaries of the 400m hurdles, 800m run and women's 4x100m relay were also run. Claflin's Makayla Jackson ran a 1:01.73 to lead the qualifying pack of eight in the women's 400m hurdles. Carrie Byrd, also from Claflin, finished the preliminaries of the women's 800m with the leading time of 2:17.83. In the women's 4x100m preliminary relay, Stillman finished first with a time of 47.02, just about one second faster than the second place Claflin team that finished in 48.18.

Stillman's Darrell Jackson led the qualifiers of the 400m hurdles with a time of 53.55. Kentucky State's Kieren Broussard (1:54.10) placed first in the men's 800m prelims.

Day Two events begin Friday at 8 a.m. with the finals in the decathlon and heptathlon.

COURTESY THESIAC.COM