SWAC baseball tournament expected to move to Baton Rouge or New Orleans

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- The chairman of the Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball coaches committee said Sunday that the conference tournament is being pulled from Fort Worth, Texas and is expected to land in Baton Rouge or New Orleans.

Grambling coach James Cooper said there were “safety concerns” at LaGraves Field, which he inspected last week, that can’t be resolved in time for the tournament, which begins May 14.

“The field had a bunch of issues with it that would be a hazard for the student-athletes,” Cooper said. “So the tournament is not going to be in Fort Worth.

“Right now, it looks like the SWAC tournament will either be at Southern or the Urban Youth Academy in New Orleans.”

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Loss keeps Southern out of tourney

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern finished its home baseball season with a loss that guaranteed it won’t qualify for the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

The Jaguars lost to Grambling 16-7 on Sunday afternoon at Lee-Hines Field to fall to 8-24 and 4-15 in the SWAC, guaranteeing a last-place finish in the West Division. The Tigers, second to last in the West, improved to 13-27 and 11-13.

Southern, which visits McNeese State in a non-conference game Wednesday, can’t win more than nine SWAC games. Third-place Prairie View A&M fell to 10-10 when it lost to Texas Southern 6-1 on Sunday.

“We don’t deserve to go because we didn’t do it on the field,” Jaguars coach Roger Cador said.

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Cardiac NCCU Eagles Storm Back To Take Series From FAMU

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  Through the first five innings, Florida A&M seemed to be on a path to ruin Senior Day, but North Carolina Central University's "Cardiac Eagles" did it again.  Trailing 11-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth, the maroon and gray scored the next 11 runs in the game to take the rubber match between the two to win the series 15-11 on Sunday afternoon at the Durham Athletic Park.

For the second straight game, the much-improved Rattler program jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but the Eagles would not die.

In the bottom of the third, freshman Carlos Ortiz (Cleveland, Ohio) crushed his fourth home run of the year to right field to finally get NCCU on the board at 5-1 after leaving men stranded through the first two innings.

The Rattlers responded with a two-run bomb to left centerfield by Michael Birdsong to make it 7-1 heading to the bottom of the fourth.

Sophomore Christian Triplett (Wilkesboro, N.C.) revved up the Eagle offense with a one-out double, followed up by a Zack Lee (Wilson, N.C.) two out walk, when Ortiz did it again with a bomb to right field, his fifth of the year, to make it 7-4 to bring the home faithful to their feet.

Florida A&M's potent offensive attack recovered to strike four more runs on the board in the top of the fifth to take a commanding 11-4 lead on the maroon and gray as senior Bennie Robinson ripped a single to drive in two runs with the bases loaded for the Rattlers.

FAMU did not score the rest of the day, while the Cardiac Eagles were just getting cranked up.

In the bottom of the fifth with NCCU trailing 11-4 sophomore James Dey (Charlotte, N.C.) followed up senior Carter Williamson's single with his first career home run to trim the margin to five at 11-6.  After redshirt junior Eric Kimber (Greensboro, N.C.) and freshman Jared Kehagias (Sanford, N.C.) were retired to put two outs on the board, Triplett's single followed up by a Kory Wood (Spring Lake, N.C.) walk began another three run two out rally for the maroon and gray as Lee registered a two RBI single as well as Tyson Simpson (Burgaw, N.C.) ripped an RBI single and the lead diminished to just two at 11-9.

FAMU threatened to score for the sixth consecutive inning, but the Eagles tightened up in the sixth with the bases loaded while Kimber's second career triple to left centerfield allowed the maroon and gray to tie the game at 11 after six complete.

After a second straight scoreless inning, the Eagles put the Rattlers away for good in bottom of the seventh with four runs to take a 15-11 lead, highlighted by Triplett's two RBI single and Wood's RBI single as well.

NCCU led 15-11 heading down the stretch and sophomore righty Andrew Vernon (Raleigh, N.C.) closed the game to earn the win with his 3.0 innings of work with four strikeouts in the comeback win.

Ortiz finished the day 4-for-5 with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored, while Triplett went 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored.

Florida A&M's Birdsong went 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored to led the Rattler offense in the loss.

During the weekend, the maroon and gray hit seven home runs as a team and batted .326 as Williamson led the Eagles going .533 at-the-dish (8-for-15) with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored, while Ortiz batted .467 (7-for-15) with three home runs and six RBI along with six runs scored.

NCCU (17-26-1, 12-10 MEAC) has clinched a berth into the MEAC Tournament which will take place on May 15-18 at Marty Miller Field in Norfolk, Va. with the only question remaining is which seed the maroon and gray will be.  The Eagles could technically earn at least a share of the Southern Division title, stay tuned for more updates.

Visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon for the latest on NCCU Athletics.

BOX SCORE

Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/Broadcast Media Coordinator
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Stillman Defeats Tuskegee, Earns Seventh SIAC Title in Eight Seasons

STILLMAN COLLEGE TIGERS BASEBALL

OZARK, Alabama — The Stillman Tigers entered this week's SIAC Baseball Championship with questions to be answered and responses being few and far between.  Could the team shake off the recent set of defensive issues and play well enough to be competitive?  Would the team's pitching hold up during the tournament?  Could the team playing with 11 seniors find their way back to the tournament championship?  Could the Tigers overcome sub-par performances near the end of the season and repeat as champions? The answer to those questions proved all to be the same:  YES.

On the strength of strong pitching, aggressive hitting and stellar base running, Stillman found just what they needed to repeat as champions of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Entering Saturday, Stillman knew it needed two strong contests if it were to have a chance at defending its title.

As Saturday drew to a close, a 10-2 win over Eastern Division winner Albany State and an 8-7 emotional win over Tuskegee – who entered that contest undefeated in the tournament in need of a single win to unset Stillman – propelled the two teams from Alabama into a winner-take-all finale on Sunday.

On day five of the tournament, Stillman took advantage of eight hits, four Tuskegee errors as they defeated the rival Golden Tigers 8-1 at historic Eagle Stadium. Playing in front of a near capacity crowd, Stillman proved to be functioning on all cylinders while Tuskegee struggled to push runs across the plate. After going scoreless in the first two innings, Stillman scored twice – the first on an RBI single by Nick Baldelli-Boggs and the second on a Brad Sevenish groundout.

Tuskegee broke into the scoring column in the top of the fifth inning when Russell Cornin opened the inning on a single and scored on an RBI single by Brandon Mapp.

Stillman responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring four runs on five hits and a Tuskegee error to build a 6-1 lead after five innings of action.  In the eighth, Anthony Delgado reached on an error before scoring on Dustin Dunn's single before Paul Winterbottom (reached on an intentional walk) scored on a sacrifice fly by Fernando Tanaka.

Stillman pitcher Ashton Johnson pitched five innings, scattering seven hits, walking one and striking out one.  He went 2-0 in the tournament, pitching 14 innings and registering a 0.64 ERA with seven strikeouts.  Johnson was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.  Tyler Vails pitched the final four innings of the tournament, scattering three hits and striking out four – including two of the final three batters of the game.

Joining Johnson on the all-tournament team were third baseman Anthony Delgado and shortstop Fernando Tanaka.  Delgado led the team with a .476 batting average this week, going 10-for-21 with six runs scored, and six runs batted in.  Tanaka batted .318 over six games, scoring seven times, driving in four runs, drawing five walks and finishing with four stolen bases.  Stillman head coach Donny Crawford was named the event's Most Outstanding Coach.

Other outstanding performances came from second baseman Dustin Dunn and pitcher Tyler Vails.  Dunn batted .385 going 10-for-26 with seven runs scored and four runs batted in.  Vails made three appearances, going 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA, nine strikeouts and a save.

The tournament is the fourth consecutive title for Stillman and the seventh over the last eight years.  Stillman also is 13-1 in SIAC tournament play at Eagle Stadium.

Stillman will now await the pairings of the 2014 NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament with the location still to be determined.

2014 SIAC BASEBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
1. Ashton Johnson - Stillman College
2. Fernando Tanaka - Stillman College
3. Nick Baldelli-Boggs - Stillman College
4. Cash Oliver - Tuskegee University
5. Gene Moody - Tuskegee University
6. Danny Barnes - Tuskegee University
7. Robert Latner - Albany State University
8. Ryan Latner - Albany State University
9. Jacob Campbell - Albany State University
10. Kyle Clark - Kentucky State University

Tournament MVP: Ashton Johnson - Stillman College
Most Outstanding Coach: Donny Crawford - Stillman College
Third Place: Albany State University
Runner-Up: Tuskegee University
2014 SIAC Baseball Champions: Stillman College

COURTESY THESIAC.COM

Langston Repeats as RRAC Women's Track & Field Champs

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma -- Langston won its second consecutive title, finishing on top at the 2014 Red River Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday at John Marshall High School. With 191 points, Langston's nearest rival was Bacone with 107.

The Lady Lions took individual event titles in the 4x800-meter relay, 400-meter dash (Sydney Scott), High Jump and Javelin (both won by meet MVP Janaa Evans). Our Lady of the Lake captured all the distance races with Ceara O'Donnell winning the 1,500 and 3,000 while Erica Ramos won titles in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races.

RRAC Women's Track & Field Championships Results  (CLICK HERE)

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Wiley Wildcats Tops Field at RRAC Men's Track & Field Championships

Wiley collected its first RRAC men's track & field title.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma -- Wiley College Wildcats captured the team title on the final day of the 2014 Red River Athletic Conference Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championships at John Marshall High School by edging Bacone by 10 points. The Wildcats swept all of the distance races including a sweep of the medal stand in the 5,000-meter run.

Wiley's Patrick Mutai took the individual title in the 3,000 and the 5,000 and finished second in the 10,000 in addition to helping the Wildcats win the 4x800-meter relay. Wiley also performed well in the throwing events, led by meet MVP Atsu Nyamadi (1st in Discus, 2nd in Shot Put and Javelin) and John Ampomah (1st in Javelin).

2014 RRAC Men's Track & Field Championships Results (CLICK HERE)

Men's Team Scores

Rank

Team

Score

1	Wiley	214
2	Bacone	204
3	Huston-Tillotson	120
4	Texas College	50
5	Langston	46
6	Our Lady of the Lake	23
7	Jarvis Christian	13

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Jordan Jones signs with Mississippi Valley Delta Devils

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KRQE) – Sandia High senior Jordan Jones signed a letter of intent to compete for Mississippi Valley State University Friday where he will play basketball and football.

Jones averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for the Matadors in basketball this season. At 6 foot 6, Jones was a big target for the Matadors football team who was able to convert big plays when needed.

He is well aware that NFL great Jerry Rice once called MVSU home.

When asked about playing receiver at the same school that produced Rice, Jones said ...



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History made as Wiley College wins first national PKD championship

Wiley College is the first HBCU to win an overall Pi Kappa Delta Comprehensive National Championship

MARSHALL, Texas -- The Wiley College debate team of 2014 has earned the mantle, “The Great Debaters,” the name was bestowed on the team by director-actor Denzel Washington in a movie by the same name which premiered in 2008.

The 23-person team, coached by Chris Medina, met the best debaters from 80 colleges and universities sent by 26 states to the National Pi Kappa Delta Comprehensive National Tournament staged the weekend of March 20 in Indianapolis, Indiana. This was the largest Pi Kappa Delta Tournament in their 101 year history.

The Wiley College Great Debaters came away in first place.

When the winning totals from the debates and individual events – 2000 entries in all – Wiley College was named champion. In all the team garnered 60 awards, capping a season of 373 tournament wins, plus exhibition debates with the University of Southern California, Harvard University and the world champion team from Monash University of Melbourne, Australia.

The team is comprised entirely of first and second year collegiate competitors. This allowed them all to compete at the Junior Varsity National Championships the week before in Hutchinson, KS; where they also won the tournament championship.

Those victories hold special meaning for the historically black college founded in 1873 in Marshall. The team’s name chosen by the college, “Melvin B. Tolson/Denzel Washington Forensics Society,” represents a continuum which began with Melvin B. Tolson’s arrival on the campus in 1924. By the 1930’s Tolson’s students were so powerful they began to be invited to compete against white colleges and universities. They were nevertheless considered by the white establishment to be second class citizens, not permitted to join the national forensics fraternity, Pi Kappa Delta.

Then came the win in 1935 against that year’s national PKD champions, the University of Southern California. Tolson was asked to write about the win for the PKD publication The Forensic.

“There was none of that dullness and drabness usually observed at debates,” he wrote. “When the finest intellects of black youth and white youth meet the thinking person gets the thrill of seeing beneath the racial phenomena the identity of worthy qualities.”

The Wiley squad, which is itself interracial, said it wanted to accept the national honor on behalf of Tolson’s teams from 1924 to 1946 who had not been allowed to compete in Pi Kappa Delta events.

With two record breaking events behind it, on  April 4-7, 2014 Wiley’s squad journeyed to Tempe, Arizona, for the America Forensics Association Individual events tournament – a tournament of champions for selective students who qualify through earlier high tournament rankings. Following that, two members of the team will fly to Ypsilanti, Michigan, seeking the national championship title for Lincoln-Douglas style debates.

Hobart Jarrett, of Tulsa Okla., was a senior member of Tolson’s championship team. This is what he wrote in 1935 in the NAACP newspaper, The Crisis, “There was a time when white colleges thought that debating against a Negro institution was mental dissipation, but that view has passed forever.”

As far as facing Wiley College at the podium in the 21st century is concerned Coach Medina can safely say that dissipation has been replaced with dread.


Wiley’s winners in the PKD National Championships included:

Jhamiah Dixon, a junior from Port Arthur, TX, excellence in Prose, quarterfinalist in Duo (with partner, Mary Mitchell), excellence in Poetry.

Farah Habad, sophomore from Union City, CA, excellence in Prose, excellence in Impromptu, sixth in Programmed Oral Interpretation, quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation, third in Poetry, third speaker in Public Forum debate, seventh in Pentathalon.

Kayla Hall, freshman from Lewisville, TX, excellence in Prose, excellence in Duo (with partner, Austin Ashford), excellence in Persuasion.

Mary Mitchell, a freshman from Renton, WA, excellence in Prose, quarterfinalist in Duo (with partner, Jhamiah Dixon).

Marcus Rembert, a freshman from Birmingham, AL, excellence in Prose, sixth in Duo (with partner, Ernest Mack), quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation, tournament champion in Reader’s Theater.

Autumnwind Spear, a freshman from New York, New York, excellence in Prose, fourth in Duo (with partner, Drake Pough), outstanding legislator in Congressional Debate.

Drake Pough, a sophomore from Union City, CA, quarterfinalist in Prose, quarterfinalist in Duo (with partner, Eric Robinson), fourth in Duo (with partner, Autumnwind Spear), second in Poetry, tournament champion in Reader’s Theater.

Eric Robinson, a sophomore from Fort Worth, TX, quarterfinalist in Prose, quarterfinalist in Duo (with partner, Drake Pough), semifinalist in Duo (with partner, Dominick Taylor), second in Dramatic Interpretation.

Austin Ashford, a sophomore from Union City, CA, national champion in Poetry , national champion in Dramatic Interpretation, quarterfinalist in Prose, excellence in Duo (with partner, Kayla Hall), second in Programmed Oral Interpretation, semifinalist in Public Forum debate, top speaker in Public Forum debate.

Dominick Taylor, a junior from St. Louis, MO, sixth in Prose, semifinalist in Duo (wither partner, Eric Robinson), semifinalist in Dramatic Interpretation, excellence in Poetry, tournament champion in Reader’s Theater.

Ki-Jana Hernandez, a freshman from Union City, CA, excellence in Impromptu, semifinalist in Programmed Oral Interpretation, semifinalist in Dramatic Interpretation, quarterfinalist and seventh speaker in Novice IPDA debate.

Robert Hollar, a sophomore from Los Angeles, CA, excellence in Impromptu.

Benjamin Turner, a freshman from Antioch, CA, excellence in Impromptu, fourth in Programmed Oral Interpretation.

Jesus Cardenas, a freshman from Union City, CA, semifinalist in Impromptu, semifinalist in Extemporaneous Speaking, fourth speaker in Public Forum debate.

Ernest Mack, a freshman from Flint, MI, sixth in Duo (with partner, Marcus Rembert), tournament champion in Reader’s Theater.

LaQuanda Streeter, excellence in Persuasion, outstanding legislator in Congressional Debate.

Aaron Tumbaga, a freshman from Union City, CA, quarterfinalist in Programmed Oral Interpretation.

Rachel Garnett, a sophomore from Puyallup, WA, excellence in Poetry.

Cameron Smith, a freshman from St. Louis, MO, second place and top speaker in Junior Varsity Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Contact Information: Coach Sarah Spiker Rainey, (903)927-3084, srainey@wileyc.edu

The Melvin B. Tolson/Denzel Washington Forensics Society is a competitive speech and debate team, affiliated with Pi Kappa Delta, the National Forensics Association, and the American Forensics Association.

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Commissioners recognize Wiley College debate win

Last week, the Marshall, Texas City Commissioners praised and congratulated the Wiley College Debate Team for becoming champions of the Pi Kappa Delta Comprehensive National Tournament held in Indianapolis, Indiana, recently.      

Mayor Ed Smith read a resolution that recognized the team, who were present at the city commission meeting as champions, and it was naturally approved by all commissioners.

Smith spoke for the city stating how proud they were of what the team, comprised of freshmen and sophomores, had accomplished.

“I’ve had the opportunity to see them in action, at least once, at least some of the team members in a debate and it was very impressive, I must say,” he said. “I think that our whole city and I know our city commission, but our city at large is really proud of what you all have accomplished and what you have set your mind to do here with Wiley and your debate efforts. To achieve the recognition that you’ve achieved within the last few years is really outstanding.”

Coach Chris Medina was on hand to introduce the team to the commissioners and explained what the win meant to them and the school.

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What Happened After a 16-year-old Chose FAMU Over Harvard

Ralph Jones’ unconventional story didn’t end with him choosing an HBCU over an Ivy League university.

ATLANTA, Georgia  -- There has been a swarm of media reports celebrating young African-American teenagers who have been killing it in college admissions. There are the DC-area triplets deciding between Columbia and University of Pennsylvania, the North Carolina young man who got into seven Ivy League schools and the New York teen who got accepted into all eight prestigious universities.

But what happens when an Ivy League school comes calling and you take a less expected path? What happens when you choose a different school, with less prestige, over the Ivy? What happens when a black kid decides that he would rather take his talents to Florida A&M University over Harvard University.

Ralph Jones Jr., a prodigious young man, who entered college at the age of 16 can tell you a little bit about that.

Jones first drew media attention back in 2010, when he shocked those who knew his story by choosing Florida A&M University over Harvard. At that time his path seemed clear. The then-16-year-old navigated through overwhelmingly intense social media criticism for his unexpected choice.

Does he regret it?

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XU Nuggets beat NAIA's No. 1 team to win group tourney

2014  NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tennis Tournament Champions
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA GOLD NUGGETS

NEW ORLEANS -- Carmen Nelson and Kourtney Howell were determined to overcome deficits Saturday. They did and delivered crucial victories for Xavier University of Louisiana in a 5-3 decision against NAIA No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett in the women's championship of the Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament at XU Tennis Center.

The Gold Nuggets (15-6), the NAIA's No. 2 team, won a conference or group tournament for the 10th time in 12 years. It was the the third straight year they won their unaffiliated group. This victory earned them an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which will start May 13 in Mobile, Ala.

Xavier's 10th-ranked men lost 5-1 to third-ranked and unbeaten Georgia Gwinnett in the other championship dual.

Nelson and her younger sister, Brandi, dropped four consecutive doubles games to give Paloma Cortina and Chiara di Salvo a 5-4 lead. But the Nelsons ignored the deficit and delivered a 9-7 victory that completed a Xavier sweep of the three doubles matches.

"We just tried to come out intense and stay positive the whole time," Carmen Nelson said. "We hit a bad spot in the middle of the match, but we regrouped and said hey, we're not going to lose this."

Freshman Nour Abbes gave Xavier a 4-0 lead -- and improved to 14-0 in singles this season -- with her 6-3, 6-2 victory against Valeria Podda in a matchup of the NAIA's No. 2 and 3 players. But the Lady Grizzlies (14-4) climbed back into contention with three consecutive victories, two by 6-1, 6-0.

Howell, who clinched eight duals for Xavier a year ago en route to a first-ever national semifinal finish, got her second of 2014. After trailing 21st-ranked Judith van Fraaijenhoven 4-3, Howell won nine of the next 11 games and cruised home with a 7-5, 6-3 championship victory.

"I came out slow and wasn't making any shots," said Howell, a two-time All-American. "Coach got on me in the middle of the first set. That got my energy up. I finally got some momentum, then I took over."

Xavier earned its second victory of the season against an NAIA No. 1. The Nuggets' 5-4 victory March 9 at three-time defending national champion Auburn Montgomery vaulted Georgia Gwinnett to No. 1 the following week. But Saturday's match could end the Lady Grizzlies' three-poll reign and move the Nuggets to No. 1 in the next poll, which will be announced Tuesday afternoon.

The Nuggets are the only NAIA team to beat Georgia Gwinnett this season.

"We've had to play second fiddle to Georgia Gwinnett much of the season," XU coach Alan Green said. "We've been
looking forward to playing them again since they beat us in February. We were ready for this moment, and we played well."

Howell and Brion Flowers beat second-ranked Podda and Helena Korompis 8-1, then Abbes and Simone-Alyse Ewell defeated Ines Costamagna and Victoria Svennson 8-3. It was Ewell's 16th consecutive doubles victory, the last nine with Abbes as her partner.

In the men's dual, Georgia Gwinnett (17-0) ended Xavier's streak of eight consecutive conference/group championships. The only Gold Rush victory came at the top doubles flight, where Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer upset 18th-ranked Luke Morland and Nathan de Veer 8-3.

Montrel and Kevin Chaouat were leading their singles matches when the dual ended -- Matias Hatem clinched with a 6-1, 6-3 decision against Viktor Svoboda. Hatem and Bruno Tiberti won in doubles and singles for the Grizzlies.

"Our men gave a good effort, but Georgia Gwinnett was just too much for us," Green said. "They outworked us and played very, very well."

Green expects the Gold Rush (11-11), with six victories against ranked opponents, to hold ground in the polls and secure an at-large bid to nationals. It would be the sixth consecutive year that the Gold Rush reach nationals.

"Our men are one of the top 8-10 teams in the country," Green said. "We're capable of reaching the quarterfinals like we did the last two seasons. Depending on how the cards fall, we may go even further. With a little luck and us playing well, who knows where we could end up?"


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Saint Augustine's University World Leader Cato, Shaw Jr. Win On Second Day Of Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – World leader Roxroy Cato (Sr./St. Mary's, Jamaica) of Saint Augustine's University won the men's 400 meter hurdles in the college championship division and teammate David Shaw Jr. (Jr./Red Springs, NC) won the men's long jump college division at the 2014 Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Friday, April 25.

Cato and Shaw are the second and third St. Aug competitors to win at the 2014 Penn Relays. Shakinah Brooks (Fr./Raleigh, NC) won the women's long jump in the college division Thursday, April 24, with a leap of 19-9.

Cato outran Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme of Long Island University with a time of 50.70 seconds. Petit-Homme was second in 51.58 and Byron Robinson of Penn State University was third in 51.70. Elhadji Mbow (Sr./Dakar, Senegal) of St. Aug placed eighth in 52.19.

Cato owns the world-leading time in the 400 hurdles this year. He posted a time of 48.67 at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla., on April 4.

Mbow has the fifth-fastest time in the 400 hurdles this season among all collegians. He ran a time of 50.12 at the Florida Relays on April 4.

Both Shaw and DeJon Wilkinson (Sr./Summerville, SC) of the Falcons set career marks in the long jump. Shaw won the men's long jump college division with a mark of 24-5. He defeated Terence Boyd of Kentucky (23-10¼) and Richard Rouse Jr. of Indiana (23-6).

Wilkinson placed second in the men's long jump championship division with a mark of 25-10¼. Corey Crawford of Rutgers won the event with a jump of 25-11.

The Falcons' group of Daniel Jamieson (Soph./Windsor, CT), Taffawee Johnson (Sr./St. Ann, Jamaica), Burkheart Ellis Jr. (Soph./Raleigh, NC) and Jermaine Jones (Jr./Wilmington, NC) posted the third-fastest qualifying time (39.93) in the men's 4x100 meter relay. They advanced to Saturday's Championship of America finals. The Falcons defeated Cornell University (41.21) and Duke University (42.01) in the second qualifying heat.

The Lady Falcons' quartet of Shamia Lassiter (Soph./Chesapeake, VA), Ornella Livingston (Fr./Jamaica), Shakinah Brooks (Fr./Raleigh, NC) and Kandace Thomas (Jr./Canton, OH) placed second in the college division of the women's 4x100 meter relay with a season's-best time of 44.95. G.C. Foster of Jamaica won the event in 44.53.

The St. Aug foursome of Jones, Joshua Edmonds (Sr./Jacksonville, FL), Jamieson and Ta Juan James (Soph./Patterson, NJ) ran the fourth-fastest qualifying time (1:23.01) in the men's 4x200 meter relay. They will compete in the Championship of America finals on Saturday.

Ty'reak Murray (Sr./Portsmouth, VA) finished fourth in the first heat and 12^th overall in the qualifying round of the men's 110 meter hurdles. He ran a season-best time of 14.18.

The Falcons' squad of Edmonds, James Quarles (Sr./Washington, DC), Kevaughn Hewitt (Sr./Miamar, FL) and Cato finished 10^th in the men's 4x400 qualifying round. They advanced to Saturday's college division finals with a time of 3:09.25.

To see the complete schedule and results, go to thepennrelays.com. The prestigious meet will be televised live Saturday, April 26, on the NBC Sports Network from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. The NBC Sports Network is Channel 65 on Time Warner Cable.

The Falcons are scheduled to run in the men's 4x100 Championship of America relay during that time slot at 1:50 p.m. They are also set to compete in the men's 4x200 Championship of America relay at 2:45 p.m.



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FAMU Lady Rattlers Celebrate Senior Day With Two Wins

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  The Florida A&M Softball team rode the emotions of Senior Day Saturday to a crushing doubleheader sweep of South Carolina State, 8-0 and 11-2 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play at Lady Rattler Field.

FAMU (18-25, 6-4 in MEAC) won back-to-back games for just the fourth time this season, and their bats came alive in both ends of Saturday’s twinbill, as the Lady Rattlers totaled 21 hits in 10 innings.

Senior Brielle Gordon led the charge for FAMU, with four hits and eight runs driven in on the day, going 2-for-3, with a double, a triple and six RBI in the opener, followed by another 2-for-3 effort with two RBI in Game Two.

Denise Anderson and Kieffi Myrick each drove in a pair of runs in the second game, while Amber Fullwood picked up a pair of RBIs, one in each game.

Gordon’s 2014 classmate, pitcher Ashleigh Minter (9-10) tossed a no-hitter in the opening game, pitching five innings, with one strike out and four walks, while freshman Kenya Pererira (5-7) picked up the Game Two win, allowing two runs on four hits, with a pair of strikeouts and one walk in four innings. Amber Fullwood came on to pitch a scoreless fifth, striking out one the close out SCSU.



GAME ONE- FAMU 8, SCSU 0
In the opener, FAMU quickly built a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a RBI single by Fullwood, followed four batters later by Gordon, whose bases loaded, two-out double drove in three runs.

In the fifth, FAMU ended the game on Gordon’s three-run triple for a 7-0 lead, before another of her senior mates, first baseman Genesis Lopez, drove Gordon in from third with a single to center for the game-winning tally.

GAME TWO – FAMU 11, SCSU 2
The second game saw FAMU draw first blood again in the first inning, scoring five runs on four hits, aided by two SCSU error. Gordon’s one-out single up the middle drove in two runs, while a steal of home by Kieffi Myrick, and two SCSU throwing errors allowed runs to score.

SCSU (10-24, 3-8 in MEAC) scored its’ first run of the day in the second inning on Tiffany Harris towering solo homer to left for a 5-1 count, but FAMU scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 7-1.

The Lady Bulldogs scored their final run in the third on Cianna Burt’s RBI single, which plated Jasmine Greer, who reached on a leadoff walk for a 7-2 count.

FAMU sealed the game in the bottom of the fourth with four runs on four hits, and one SCSU error, extending their lead to 11-2.

GAME NOTE: In a touch of class, the FAMU coaches presented flowers to the three SCSU seniors, Kelsey Grochow, Tiffany Harris and Vianney Gomez, prior to honoring the five FAMU players: Bianca Torres, Genesis Lopez, Brielle Gordon, Christina Robbs and Ashleigh Minter.

WHAT’S NEXT: FAMU will host SCSU Sunday at 12 noon in the series finale… They will close the regular season next weekend at home against Bethune-Cookman in a three-game series.

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James Spady hopeful after first spring game as Alabama A&M football coach

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama---James Spady's smile beamed almost as brightly as the afternoon sun on Louis Crews Stadium.

The former Nevada assistant and first-year head coach was teeming at the thought of what could be as he answered  a reporter's questions, following the Bulldogs annual Maroon & White spring football game which attracted an estimated 1,500 supporters.
 

"The feedback was tremendous," Spady said. "All I've heard was, 'This is unique" and "We hadn't had that many people at a spring game'. I don't know. I wasn't here but like I said the feedback was tremendous. I feel really good about it. I actually had a good time today. It was a festive atmosphere. If that's what it's like on an April afternoon in spring football, oh Oct. 4th (the Bulldogs' home-opener against Grambling State) is going to be ridiculous and I can't wait.



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LU Lions Place Second in Shot Put Event at 2014 Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  –  Lincoln's Matthew Huckabee (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek HS) placed second in the men's shot put event with a season-best throw while the men's 4x400m relay team had a season best time at the 2014 Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Friday, April 25.

Competing in the eastern division of the shot put event, junior thrower Matthew Huckabee (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek HS) finished second out of 27 competitors. His second attempt in the event went 16.80m marking a season-best measure. He also competed in the discus event, as Huckabee placed 14^th overall with a mark of 48.27m.



Matthew Huckabee
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Senior Keith Trammell (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville HS) placed 20^th in the college section in the men's shot put event. Trammell recorded 13.66m on his first attempt and then 13.67m on his third attempt.

In the relay events, Lincoln's 4x400m relay team of Mike Brown (Norristown, PA/Norristown HS), Miles Green (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute), Keith Taylor (Chester, PA/Mount Pleasant HS), and Kyle Edwards (Bloomfield, CT/Bloomfield HS) placed 57^th with a season-best time of 3:21.64. The Lions 4x100m relay team ran a time of 43.85 placing 77^th.

Lincoln will head to the Kehoe Twilight Invitational hosted by the University of Maryland on Friday, May 2^nd in College Park, MD for their next meet.

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Albany State Captures 2014 SIAC Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships

ROCK HILL, South Carolina  –  At the conclusion of the 2014 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Track and Field Championships, the Golden Rams from Albany State University earned their way to top team finishes in both the men's and women's competitions at Irwin Belk Track in Rock Hill, S.C.

The Lady Rams scored 229 points for a decisive win. Benedict's Lady Tigers finished second with 205 points and Stillman took third with 86 points. On the men's side, Albany State had 194 total points. Morehouse placed second with 159 points and Kentucky State earned 116 points.

Albany State's men's and women's teams capped off their overall victories with a first-place finish in both 4x400m relays. The men's team was comprised of Tabareyon Jones, Kyran Stewart, Sidney Buchannon and Jarrel Jackson. They finished in 3:13.88. Stillman came in second place after running a 3:17.85.

Benedict finished in 3:19.55 for third. Olivia Traylor, Mykeese Edwards, Irrion Conaler and Lanequa Borders ran a 3:52.14 for the Albany State's women's relay team. Benedict's Lady Tigers came in second in 3:53.21. Stillman's team finished in 3:55.64.

Final awards were given to the top performers of the meet, Jonnise Pierce (Benedict) won the Women's Track MVP Award. Krishanda Campbell-Brown (Benedict) won the Women's Field MVP Award. Jonnise Pierce also won the Cleve Abbott Award which is annually awarded to the male or female who scores the most points during the meet. Pierce scored 44 points. Albert Murrey from Albany State was named the Men's Track MVP. Javonte Brooks-Brown out of Kentucky State won the Men's Field MVP Award. Kenneth Taylor, Albany State's head track and field coach, was named the Most Outstanding Coach for the men and women.

In the 4x100m relay, Stillman College claimed gold in both the men's and women's race and Claflin finished with the silver medal in both races. Travis Thornhill, Jamal Rodman, James Bigham III and Josiah Nettles ran a 40.59 for first. Brittany Franklin, Euphemia Edem, Janae Jones and Alexandria Montgomery represented Stillman with a time of 46.57 for the win in their race. Claflin (40.74) and Benedict (41.46) finished in second and third, respectively in the men's relay. Claflin (47.96) and Fort Valley (48.07) went 2-3 in the women's relay.

The 400m dash was quick and close with Albany State's Tabareyon Jones (47.36) edging Benedict's Antonio Locklin, Jr. (47.43) for the win. Jarrel Jackson (48.23) took the bronze medal for the Golden Rams.

In the women's 400, Benedict took first with Stephanie Rhoden crossing the line with a time of 56.86. Clark Atlanta's Jerriyauna Jarboe finished second in 57.64 and Claflin's Carrie Byrd went third in 58.02.

Kyran Stewart (10.45) claimed the coveted men's 100m dash title adding 10 points to Albany State's point total. Teammate Untayous Benson (10.79) finished third. Claflin's Dennis Bain joined in the photo finish finishing in 10.62 for second.

Chamekea Davis won the 100m dash with a time of 11.57 for Benedict. Crossing the line in 11.93 was Albany State's Lanequa Borders. Third went to Portia Wilson of Fort Valley. Wilson ran a 12.03.

Claflin's Dennis Bain earned 10 points in the 110m hurdles crossing the line in 13.92. Benedict's Tre Adderely (14.94) and Morehouse's Jerraco Johnson (15:45) took bronze and silver.

Krishanda Campbell-Brown collected another medal after winning the 100m hurdles in 14.77. Makayla Jackson and Irrion Conaler battled for second. Jackson ran a 15.07 for second and eight points for Claflin. Albany State found their way to the podium again with a third-place finish by Conaler (15.08).

Darrell Jackson (53.70) from Stillman and Christopher Morris (55.89) from Morehouse ran just a tad slower in the 400m hurdles than they did in the prelims to earn the gold and silver medals, respectively. TreVonta McTyre (55.96) improved upon his prelim time and hurdled his way to a bronze medal.

Claflin's Makayla Jackson (1:01.72) and Eboni Smith (1:03.79) finished first and third in the 400m hurdles. Albany State's Irrion Conaler (1:03.61) picked up another medal with a second-place finish.

Albany State's Stewart earned another gold medal in the 200 and helped Albany State to sweep the men's 100m dash, 200m dash and 400m dash. In the 200, Stewart finished in 21.33. Claflin's Bain (21.33) picked up a silver medal and Benedict's Rodriques Flynn (21.88) won the bronze.

Chamekea Davis from Benedict took the top spot in the 100m dash and followed it up with gold in the 200m dash. Davis finished in 24.17 to lead a photo finish. Euphemia Edem earned eight points for Stillman running the identical time of 24.87 that she turned in during the prelims. Benedict's Stephanie Rhoden placed third in 24.97.

In the men's 800m run, Kieren Broussard picked up his second gold of the day for Kentucky State finishing in 1:52.52. Albany State's Albert Murrey (1:54.93) also returned to the podium to collect a second silver medal. Stillman's Chazz Mapp (1:55.74) took third.

Stillman College picked up 10 points in the women's 800m run thanks to a top finish by Sade Joseph in 2:20.22). The finish was tight and Jonnise Pierce from Benedict crossed in 2:20.31 for second. The bronze medal went to Albany State's Olivia Traylor (2:21.57).

Kieren Broussard took the top spot for Kentucky State in the men's 1500m run after running a time of 4:05.18 in the finals. Broussard was followed by Albany State's Albert Murrey (4:05.66) and Morehouse's Gerald Jones (4:06.25).

The Lady Tigers from Benedict continued to take gold in distance events. Jonniese Pierce finished first in the 1500m run with a time of 5:12.30. Albany State's Olivia Traylor (5:13.66) placed second and Denita Brown (5:18.96) from Kentucky State finished third.

Morehouse College went 1-2 in the 5000m run with Dahir Mohamed (16:20.02) and Shinaola Agbede (16:22.48) taking the top spots. Albert Murrey from Albany State placed third in 16:32.64.

In the women's 5000m run, Benedict College again swept the top three spots of a distance race. Astacia Watkins (22:47.74), Jonnise Pierce (22:50.57) and Mikarla Swann (22:51.97) went 1-2-3.

Tre Adderely was in a league of his own in the men's javelin. Adderely threw his best on the last throw of the finals. His mark of 56.33m earned 10 points for the Tigers. Paine's Adrian Caldwell placed second with a 49.32m throw. Ronald Williams (46.73m) finished third.

There were four competitors in the women's pole vault. Clark Atlanta's Ashley Ellis won with a cleared height of 3.05m. Raven Norwood from Albany State cleared 2.63m and Tuskegee's Quinetta Forby (2.53m) finished in third.

Andrea Fullmore threw the javelin 35.76m to secure the win and add 10 points to Albany State's score. Clark Atlanta's Tabia Wade (32.76m) and Benedict's Terae Sweeting (32.53) rounded out the top three in the javelin.

Babatunde Sanusi was the lone person to clear the men's high jump bar at 2.01m. He attempted 2.06m but did not clear it. Sanusi's win added 10 points to Claflin's team score. Malik Broughton won silver for Albany State. His last cleared height was 1.98m. Finishing third was Kentucky State's Troy Churchill, Jr., whose last cleared height was 1.92m.

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Lincoln Blue Tigers Win Four Races, Post 10 Top-Two Results at the Drake Relays

The Lincoln Women Sweep the 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800 Relays

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Lincoln's men's and women's track & field teams combined to win four races and post 10 total top-two finishes at the Drake Relays this weekend (April 24-26).

The Blue Tiger women claimed three of those victories, sweeping the 4x100m, 4x400m and 4x800m relays. In the latter two events, both Willomena Williams and Jhevere Hall were members of the winning teams. In the 4x400m, they were joined by Tamara Keane and Donna-Lee Hylton as the foursome won in 3:37.77. Meanwhile, in the 4x800m, Williams and Hall were joined by Ebony Rose and Monique Thompson to claim victory in 8:52.53.

The winning 4x100m relay team consisted of Judith Riley, Yanique Ellington, Kimberly Bailey and Janae Johnson, with the foursome finishing first in 45.59. Ellington and Johnson later teamed with Keane and Hylton in the 4x200m relay, with the foursome finishing as the runners-up with a time of 1:36.29.

The LU women also posted three other second-place results, including in the distance medley, where the group of Hall, Williams, Thompson and Marcia Harrison clocked in at 11:37.28. Thompson and Williams also helped the 1600 sprint medley team to a second-place finish, joining with Keane and Johnson to time in at 3:54.15. The other runner-up result came in the 4x100m shuttle hurdle preliminaries, as Shakeisha Miller, Juneille Barker, Nadia Harriott and Ladonna Richards finished in 55.64. The foursome did not finish in the finals.

The Lincoln men also had three top-two results, with the highlight of the meet coming in the preliminaries of the 4x100m relay. The foursome of Wesley Best, Romel Lewis, Romone Hill and Michael Ashley won the prelims with a time of 40.73. The group did not end up finishing in the finals.

The 4x200m squad came in second, with the grouping of Best, Hill, Ashley and Khorey Spalding clocking in at 1:26.16. Lincoln also turned in a second-place result in the 1600 sprint medley, as Best, Hill, Jermaine Blake and Neville Daley combined to finish in 3:24.81.

The LU men had two other notable results on the afternoon, including in the 800m, where Blake finished third at 1:53.12. Blake was also a part of Lincoln's 4x400m relay team, joining with Roger Blake, Winston Edwards and Ashley. That foursome came in sixth after clocking in at 3:12.59.

Up next for both Blue Tiger squads is the 2014 MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which this year will be hosted in Jefferson City, Mo. by Lincoln University. The three-day championship meet will be held at Dwight T. Reed Stadium next Friday, Saturday and Sunday (May 2-4).

Final Results

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Savannah State Men's Golf Moves Into Second Place in 2014 MEAC Golf Championship Tournament

TRAVIS ROE
5'7" JUNIOR
HOMETOWN: CUMMING, GEORGIA
Photo courtesy of SSU Athletics

Round Two Results  |  Round Three Pairings  |  Live Scoring 

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Behind some stellar play from Travis Roe and Brandon Neals, the Savannah State men's golf team moved into second place in round two of the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at Crosswinds Golf Club in Savannah.

Neals shot a 70 in round two to drop to one under par for the tournament, after opening with a 73 on Friday. Neals is in third in the individual race, behind Bethune-Cookman's Ryan and Leon Fricker.

Roe improved his first round 75 to a 69 on day two, moving to even for the tournament. He's tied for fourth place overall with Florida A&M's Kevin Parker. Roe eagled the sixth hole, and concluded the day with a birdie on 18.

The Tigers as a team shot 285 in the second round moving into to second place behind Bethune-Cookman. After two rounds, SSU has a 585 team score.

SSU's Scott Rogers improved in the second round as well, finishing with a 72. Trevor Podner and Joseph Barrows each took two strokes off their first round scores, shooting a 74 on Saturday.

The Cookman Wildcats maintained their team and individual lead through the second round with a team score of 285.  Ryan and Leon lead the individual race, each having shot a 69 in both the first and second rounds.

Leon leads the field in eagles with three. Ryan leads the field in par four scoring (-2), par five scoring (-8), and in birdies (12). Roe leads in pars with 26 overall.

Florida A&M's Justin Stills led the field in round two with a 66, after shooting an 80 on day one. The Crosswinds course record is currently 63. Stills' exceptional play on Saturday carried his team into third place.

The Rattlers have a two-round team score of 588. North Carolina Central dropped out of the running with a tough second day. The team dropped to a second round score of 308, after opening the championship with a 299.

Hampton University sits in fifth place with a 636, followed by Maryland Eastern Shore in sixth with a 670.

The third and final round of the MEAC Championship begins on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. The trophy ceremony will be held immediately after the final scores are brought in on Sunday.

The winner of the MEAC Championship will receive an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Regional Tournament May 15-17.

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B.J. Rowry helps Southern split with Grambling

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- First baseman B.J. Rowry will be among five seniors honored before their final home baseball game at Southern on Sunday.

But Rowry grabbed the spotlight a day early as he went 6-for-7 with four RBIs as the Jaguars split a doubleheader with Grambling on Saturday at Lee-Hines Field.

Rowry went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs as Southern won the second game 6-5 in 10 innings. In the Jaguars’ 6-3 loss in the first game, he was 2-for-3 with a home run.

“I’m just enjoying the fact that I’m out here,” he said. “That’s the attitude I took into game one and game two.”

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St. Aug 4x100 Men Run Season Best Time at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  --  The foursome of Daniel Jamieson (Soph./Windsor, CT), Taffawee Johnson (Sr./St. Ann, Jamaica), Burkheart Ellis Jr. (Soph./Raleigh, NC) and Jermaine Jones (Jr./Wilmington, NC) of Saint Augustine's University ran a season-high 39.19 seconds in the men's 4x100 Championship of America relay on the final day of the 2014 Penn Relays before a crowd of 49,103 at Franklin Field on Saturday, April 26, 2014. Saturday's attendance was the seventh largest in Penn Relays history.

The men's 4x100 squad finished third in the event, which was televised by NBC Sports Network. Only UTech of Jamaica (38.71) and Division I LSU (38.83) ran faster than the Falcons, who entered the prestigious meet as the top-ranked Division II 4x100 relay squad. Five Division I schools were in the eight-team relay.

St. Aug capped the prestigious three-day meet with two third-place relay finishes.  The group of Roxroy Cato (Sr./St. Mary's, Jamaica), James Quarles (Sr./Washington, DC), Kevaughn Hewitt (Sr./Miamar, FL) and Joshua Edmonds (Sr./Jacksonville, FL) finished third in the men's 4x400 college division relay with a time of 3:07.06. Only Indiana Tech (3:06.80) and G.C. Foster of Jamaica (3:06.98) ran faster than the Falcons, ranked No. 1 in Division II in the 4x400 relay.

The Falcons' foursome of Edmonds, Johnson, Jamieson and Jones finished fourth in the men's 4x200 Championship of America relay with a time of 1:21.91. The event was also televised by NBC Sports Network. David Shaw Jr. (Jr./Red Springs, NC) placed fourth in the men's college division triple jump with a career outdoor mark of 49-7¼.

The Lady Falcons' squad of Tia-Adana Belle (Fr./Jamaica), Cherrisse Lynch (Jr./St. Lawrence, Barbados), Brittany Brown (Sr./Akron, OH) and Akeisha Dumont (Jr./Brooklyn, NY) placed fifth in the women's 4x400 college division relay with a time of 3:40.82. DeJon Wilkinson (Sr./Summerville, SC) of St. Aug was eighth in the men's Championship triple jump with a leap of 49-2¼.

The Falcons were coming off victories in three events the first two days. On Friday, world leader Cato won the men's 400 Championship hurdles and Shaw Jr. took the men's college division long jump. Shakinah Brooks (Fr./Raleigh, NC) won the women's college division long jump Thursday.

The Falcons and Lady Falcons have won 34 NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor titles under legendary Head Coach George Williams. The men's team is the two-time NCAA indoor and defending outdoor champs in addition to being the top-ranked Division II squad in the nation.
    
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Tuskegee Defeats Albany State, Claims 2014 Softball Championship

2014 SIAC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERETTES
Photo courtesy of TheSIAC.com

HAMPTON, Georgia  — The Tigerettes of Tuskegee University defeated the Lady Rams of Albany State University, 11-7, to claim the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship today at Gerald Matthews Complex in Hampton, Georgia.

Tuskegee, the top seed from the Western Division, scored three runs in both the first and second innings to jump out to an early 6-0 lead. Both teams went scoreless in the third inning before Albany State would get on the board with a run in the top of the fourth, by way of a home run by third baseman Toni Coleman.

Tuskegee would counter with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth, before the Lady Rams would rally to score six runs on five hits, three of them being home runs, in the top of the fifth.

Tigerettes head coach Edward Colvin then turned to Latifah Kelly, the 2014 SIAC Starting Pitcher of the Year, to close the game. Kelly pitched the final 2.1 innings, striking out two, allowing one walk, one hit and one run en route to earning MVP honors and a spot on the All-tournament team.

Offensively, Tuskegee was led by third baseman Roslyn Thomas, who drove in four runs during the contest. Designated hitter Denavia Harrison (3 RBI's), shortstop Karisa Foye (2 RBI's) and outfielder Chante Warner (2 RBI's) each supplied multiple RBI's for the Tigerettes.

Albany State was led offensively by Coleman, who went 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs. Coleman and catcher Chaconna Marks were the only Lady Rams to homer, with Marks also driving in two scores.

2014 SIAC Softball All-Tournament team:

1. Latifah Kelly - Tuskegee University
2. Karisa Foye - Tuskegee University
3. Roslyn Thomas - Tuskegee University
4. Chaconna Marks - Albany State University
5. Chelsea Hicks - Albany State University
6. Toni Coleman - Albany State University
7. Markea Sheppard - Claflin University
8. Amanda Evans - Claflin University
9. Sabriya Brooks - Benedict College
10. Alia Williams - Clark Atlanta University

Tournament MVP: Latifah Kelly - Tuskegee University

Most Outstanding Coach: Edward Colvin - Tuskegee University

Third Place: Claflin University

Runner-Up: Albany State University

2014 SIAC Softball Champions: Tuskegee University

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FAMU Splits Doubleheader at NCCU 5-8 & 7-3

DURHAM, North Carolina  –  Florida A&M (19-22, 11-8 MEAC) split a conference doubleheader with North Carolina Central (16-26-1, 11-10 MEAC) on Saturday at the Durham Athletic Park in Durham, NC. The Eagles rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the eighth inning of game one to win 8-5, while the Rattlers bounced back to take game two 7-3 while pounding out 11 hits.

Marlon Gibbs was 4-for-8 on the day with one RBI and three runs scored, including his first home run of the season. Bennie Robinson added three RBI over both games while hitting 3-for-9 and two runs scored.

Brandon Fleming (3-4) suffered the loss in game one for the Rattlers after allowing four runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Game two starter David Duncan (3-4) won the second game for Florida A&M while giving up three runs on six hits with four strikeouts in five solid innings of work.

FAMU grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one. Gibbs smacked his first home run of the season, a two out shot to give the Rattlers the early lead.

NCCU answered with a pair of solo home runs by Carlos Ortiz and Carter Williamson in the home half of the first inning to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage.

The Rattlers would tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. Gibbs led off the fourth inning with a single to left and moved to second courtesy of a balk from Eagles starting pitcher Kyle Shields. Ryan Kennedy followed with a groundout to second to advance Gibbs to third before Jeremy Barlow’s sac fly to left plated Gibbs for the tying run. After scoring the tying run, Florida A&M worked the bases loaded with two outs before Logan Seymour grounded out to third to end the scoring opportunity.

The Eagles had a scoring chance in the fifth as Zack Lee reached on an error to lead off the inning and stole second with no outs. After a pair of fly outs, Williamson was intentionally walked before Rattler starting pitcher Jarrell shut the door on the NCCU scoring chance by striking out Bryant Battle to end the inning.

Central regained the lead at 3-2 in the seventh on Williamson’s RBI single through the right side. Ortiz was hit-by-pitch and moved up two bases to third on a two-out single to right from Tyson Simpson to setup Williamson’s go ahead RBI single.

FAMU took their first lead since the first inning at 5-3 in the eighth. Bennie Robinson’s two-run blast off the warehouse building that is located beyond the fence in right gave FAMU the lead in the eighth inning at 4-3. After a Gibbs single, Michael Birdsong reached on a fielder as NCCU second baseman Jared Kehagias dropped the ball, for a fielding error, trying to catch Gibbs advancing to second base. With runners on first and second, Ryan Hutson singled to second but Kehagias second error of the inning, this time with a high throw to first, allowed Gibbs to score all the way from second base.

After falling behind 5-3 in the top of the eighth, North Carolina Central answered with five runs on three hits in the eighth. Simpson’s three-run home run off of the first pitch from Rattler reliever Blake Quillin proved to be the difference for final score of 8-5 in game one.

Just as they did in game one Florida A&M scored first in game two. The Rattlers scored a pair of runs on four hits in the first inning. Quillin and Robinson recorded back-to-back singles to lead off the game and Gibbs sac bunt back to the pitcher moved both runners up a base. With runners now on second and third, Kennedy singled through the right side to plate Quillin for the first run of the game and Birdsong followed with an RBI double off the fence in right to score Robinson.

The Rattlers pushed their lead to 5-0 with three more runs in the top of the third in what turned out to be more than the Eagles could overcome. Birdsong and Kennedy had back-to-back, one out, base hits and Kennedy later advanced to third on Hutson’s fly out to right. Kendall Weeks’ RBI single plated Kennedy for the third run of the game for FAMU. Peter Jackson continued the scoring with a two-run double to right, bringing home both Birdsong and Weeks for the second and third runs of the inning.

NCCU cut into the Florida A&M lead with three runs on three hits in the fifth for the score of 5-3. Kehagias opened the home half of the fifth drawing a four-pitch walk for the Eagles and scored all the way from first on Christian Triplett’s RBI double down the left line for the first run of game two for NCCU. Kory Wood followed with a triple into the left center gap to plate Triplett and Lee’s RBI ground out to second allowed Wood to score the third and final run of the game for Central.

FAMU increased its lead to what was the final score of 7-3 in game two with two more runs in the sixth inning. Jackson walked and Ferdinand Rondon singled to right with one out, before Quillin reached on a fielder’s choice to put Jackson on third as Rondon was out at second on the play. Jackson then came home to score on a wild pitch from Eagle reliever Morris Jones and an RBI single from Robinson later scored Quillin from second.

Cetnral reliever Jake Russell (4-4) earned the game one win for the Eagles, while game two starter Terry McNabb (2-7) was tagged with the loss.

Florida A&M and North Carolina Central will wrap up their regular season series on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @FAMUAthletics and live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com.

GAME ONE (HTML)      I     GAME TWO (HTML)

By Michael Morrell/Special to FAMU Athletics
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Stillman wins two games Saturday, playing for SIAC baseball title

OZARK, Alabama | The Stillman College baseball team stayed alive in its quest for the SIAC championship with two wins Saturday afternoon at historic Eagle Stadium.

In the first game, Stillman eliminated the Golden Rams of Albany State, 10-2, to advance to play Tuskegee. The Tigers then held off a Golden Tigers rally in the ninth inning to win, 8-7, and force a deciding game. The finale will be today at 10 a.m.

Stillman pitcher Tyler Vails, the reigning three-time SIAC Relief Pitcher of the Year, pitched nine innings, notching three strikeouts with seven hits and two runs en route to beating Albany State.

The Tigers’ offense came alive from the opening ...

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TSU Tigers, 11th Heading Into Final Day of OVC Championships

MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama  -- Tennessee State cut 13 strokes from their day one performance on Saturday at the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference golf championships. The Tigers remain in eleventh after shooting a 308 on the Par-72, 7,187 yard Fighting Joe course at The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Temperatures sat in the 70’s all morning and reached 80 by the end of play with the winds ranging from 6-8 mph, setting up good playing conditions for the second round. Jacksonville State continues to at 9-under and is followed by Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay. EKU made a charge with a 7-under, 281 to tie the Governors and close to within six strokes.

APSU’s Marco Iten took sole possession on the leaderboard at 8-under, with a 4-under, 68, performance. Iten holds a one stroke lead over Camilo Aguado of Jacksonville State.

Blake Burgett and Codie Welborn posted the team low for TSU with a 4-over, 76. Burgett (83-76=159) dropped five birdies and six pars as he cut seven strokes off of his day outing. Burgett relied on good putting, once on the greens, as he sank a 20-footer on No. 10, a six-footer on 11 and a 15-footer on 16 after getting in trouble off the tee. The sophomore found nine greens and seven fairways on Saturday.

Welborn (81-76=157) bounced back after a 9-over in round one to card three birdies and ten pars. The senior notched birdies on the par-4, 2nd, the par-4, 6th, and the par-3, 18th. Welborn hit a 3-wood off the tee down the right hand side of the fairway on No. 2. The Murfreesboro native left a 7-iron just short and left of the green to set up a chip in for his first birdie of the day.

On No. 6, Welborn hit his driver down the middle of the fairway and knocked a 6-iron to 20 feet of the pin. Welborn was able to get the right speed on the uphill putt as he moved to 1-under after six holes of play.

The fourth-year Tiger saved his best for last as he hit a 6-iron off the box to two-feet of the flag on the middle-back portion of the challenging par-3, 18th, just in front of a mound on the green. Welborn was able to tap in for his final one-under of the round.

James Stepp (81-77=158) sat at 6-over after 11 holes despite scoring six pars. The junior returned to his play with six pars and a birdie over the final seven holes to finish the day with a 5-over, 77. Stepp hit a 2-iron off the box to 116 yards at the par-4, 14th. The Cheatham, Tenn., native used a sand wedge on his second shot to three-feet of the hole, for an easy putt for his lone birdie of the day.

Matt Campbell (86-79=165) scored for the Tigers with a 7-over, 79, as hit continued his strong ball striking off the box with 11-of-14 fairways and 13 greens. Campbell carded nine pars and two birdies on Saturday. On the par-4, 2nd, Campbell sank a six-footer after hitting a wedge from 141 yards out. On the par-3, 13th, Campbell hit a 7-iron from 168 out to eight feet to accomplish his second one-under of the round.

Andrew Warner (76-80=156) continues to lead TSU, but did not score for the Tigers during the second round, as he entered the clubhouse with an 8-over, 80. The senior hit eight fairways, 13 greens and registered his only birdie with a 12-footer on 14 after using a gap wedge from 120 yards.

Matt Campbell will be the first to tee off at 8:00am on the final day of play. Blake Burgett will tee-off at 8:10am, ahead of James Stepp at 8:20am, Codie Welborn at 8:30am and Andrew 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