Baseball Picks Up Mid-Week Win Over Voorhees

Baseball Picks Up Mid-Week Win Over Voorhees | https://images.sidearmdev.com/

By SW Georgia News Reports

Mar 19, 2023

Savannah State rolled to a mid-week, non-conference dub against Voorhees on Tuesday, beating the NAIA team 9-3 on the Tiger Baseball Field and improving to 11-5 overall.

The Tigers tossed nine different pitchers from their deep bullpen at Voorhees. Starting pitcher Andrew Mann earned the win, improving to 2-2 on the season. Mann went 2.0 innings, allowing no earned runs on two hits with four strikeouts.

Voorhees' starting pitcher Xander Casarez pitched a strong 6.0 innings against the Tigers, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

Despite the good pitching from the visitors, the Tigers did what they do best, got on base and scored. Savannah State is ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II in on-base percentage with a 46% chance their batters will reach each time they come up.

Big lead-off man Joe Smith—who leads the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) in total hits (28), hits per game (1.75), runs per game (1.5), and triples (5)—singled to reach. Jake Grubesic followed that with a single as well. Champion Robbins cleared them both with a two-run single to left. Later, first baseman, Andrai Wright scored Robbins with a single to lift SSU to an early 3-0 lead.

Voorhees platted a single run in the top of the third and SSU answered with a single run in the bottom of the frame.

Following three scoreless innings, as a pitching duel between Casarez and four SSU pitchers— Mann, Merrit Evans, Nehemiah Cook and Clayton Brody—ensued, Savannah State lead 4-1 into the bottom of the seventh.

Wright platted Hakem Smith on a single to open a huge scoring frame for the Tigers in the bottom of the seventh. Jojuan Wimbley hit a perfect bunt down the first base line to score Robbins who was walked. Later Gabriel Patxot blasted a single to center, platting Wimbley and Wright.

In the final play of the inning, Mason McLeod scored Desmore Joseph on a single, pushing SSU out to a 9-1 lead, and then got caught at second base for the third out on a killer throw from left field.

Voorhees tacked on two more runs in the eighth, but SSU would hold on for the final six-run win, racking up 14 hits on the way.

Joe Smith led the Tigers at the plate, going 2-for-3 on the day. Smith is batting .459 so far this season, ranking No. 2 in the SIAC and No. 26 in Division II in batting average. He's slugging .738 with a .500 on-base percentage.

The Tigers return to SIAC action this weekend with a three-game series against Benedict College on The Tiger Baseball Field. First pitch of a doubleheader on Friday is set for 1 p.m. They will play a single game on Saturday at 12 p.m. to close the series out.