Morehouse Kristopher Skinner 4 for 3 at the plate, 2 RBIs recorded win on the Hill.
With two outs and the game tied. Morehouse College was able to push the winning run across the plate as Amyr Smith drove in the game winning run on an infield single in the bottom of the 7th inning as the Maroon Tigers knocked off HBCU Baseball small school No. 1 ranked Kentucky State 9-8 Saturday afternoon at Emerson, Georgia, (Lakepoint Park) in the scheduled doubleheader.
In game one, Kentucky State got on the board first in the top of the first inning when Morehouse second baseman Werten Bellamy throwing error allowed Jordan Ransom to score, who had originally reached base on a fielding error by Maroon Tigers first baseman Daniel Mumphery, stole second, crossed the plate on Bellamy miscue putting KSU up 1-0.
Morehouse would push three runs across in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead. The inning was highlighted with two-outs, Bellamy walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, scored on a single to left field by Miles Grayson to knot the score at 1-1. Kristopher Skinner triple to deep right center field plated Grayson, who scored on Smith bunt single for Maroon Tigers 3-1 lead.
The Thorobreds would get one run back at the top of the third inning. Lawson led off the inning with a single to right center, advance all the way around on three wild pitches by Morehouse starter Demetrius Burton for a 3-2 game.
Morsehouse would add another run in the fourth inning. Grayson doubled to right field, advanced to third on a wild pitch, Skinner singled to left field brought home Grayson giving Morehouse a 4-2 lead.
With two outs in the top of the fifth inning, three straight singles got things going for the Thorobreds. Jay Poullard and Adren Thompson singled. Artie Santomo single scored Poullard cutting Morehouse lead in half. Bryan Wilson delivered a three-run home run KSU taking a 6-4 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Morehouse would add runs of its own. Grayson reached base when he was hit by a pitch and Skinner singled to left field. Jalyn Hawkins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Smith then picked up his second RBI of the game with a singled to center field. A run scoring groundout off the bat of Karston Dyk added a run. Thorobred third baseman Santomo throwing error allowed two more runs in the inning to cross the plate capping off the four-run six inning giving Morehouse a 8-6 lead.
Leading off the seventh inning, Poullard walked, Thompson double to left center and a hit batter Kentucky State had bases juiced and nobody out. Wilson drew a bases loaded walk to pull the Thorobreds to within one. KSU Kevin Givhan lined into a double play. Then Russell Sims, brought home the tying run with a two-out single.
Morehouse would win the game in the bottom of the seventh by Smith’s heroics. A leadoff walk to Grayson. Stefan Mack entered the game pinch ran for Grayson, moved to second on a groundout and to third on a wild pitch. Smith infield single to the shortstop scored Mack for the winning run of the game.
Smith led Morehouse, going 4 for 4 with one run and three runs batted in, while Skinner was 4 for 3 one run two runs batted in and Miles three runs, two hits and an RBI. Reliever Skinner (1-0) earned the win.
Kentucky State was led by Sims, going 3 for 5 with an RBI, while Wilson was 2 for 3 with a home run and four runs driven in. Thompson and Lawson had two hits each. Ransom, (0-1) in relief suffered the loss.
In game two, Kentucky State pounded out 11 hits to defeat Morehouse 16-2 for a doubleheader split.