ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The Savannah State University softball team (12-21, 7-7 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) clinched a playoff berth to the MEAC Tournament after splitting the doubleheader against South Carolina State University (2-30, 2-12 MEAC) Saturday at Lady Bulldogs Field.
 
The Lady Tigers easily won the first game 11-1, but fell in the second game 9-8.  In game two, the Lady Tigers had a 6-1 lead in the top of the second inning, but the Bulldogs scored three runs in the second and in the sixth inning to take a 7-6 lead.  Savannah State scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to take an 8-7 lead, but with two outs, an error allowed two Bulldogs to score to win the second game.
 
Junior third baseman Cortni Jones led the team batting .667 (4-for-6) with four runs scored and five RBIs in both games, while freshman second baseman Kameryn Baker batted .600 (3-for-5) with a run scored and an RBI and junior first baseman Elizabeth Humes batted .500 (4-for-8) with two runs scored and three RBIs. 
 
Savannah State 11, South Carolina State 1 (Game One)
Senior center fielder Brianna Harris and Jones each batted 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Harris recorded two RBIs and Jones recorded three RBIs and Humes went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.  On the mound, freshman pitcher Tanisha Williams pitched a complete game giving up one unearned run scattering three hits with four strikeouts.
 
Savannah State started hot scoring seven runs in the first two innings, two in the top of the first inning and five in the second to take a 7-0 lead after an inning and a half. 
 
In the first inning, senior right fielder Shelby Eccles started the game with a walk and stole second and advance to third on an error that allowed a runner to reach first base to put runners on the corners with no outs.  Harris hit an infield single to drive home Eccles for the first run of the game.  Jones walked to load the bases and Humes hit a sacrifice fly to drive home senior shortstop Drea Lesure for a 2-0 lead, but the next batter hit into a double play to end the SSU threat.
 
In the second inning, the first batter grounded out and junior catcher Kelsey Cryus walked and advanced to second after a groundout to the second baseman for the second out of the inning.  Eccles singled to left field to drive home Cyrus for a 3-0 lead and then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
 
Lesure singled to center field to drive home Eccles for a 4-0 lead and Harris triple to center field to drive home Lesure for a 5-0 lead and Jones singled back to the pitcher to drive home Harris for a 6-0 lead. 
 
Jones stole second and advanced to third on a pass ball and Humes singled to right field to drive home Jones for a 7-0 lead, but a pop out to the second base ended the inning.
 
The Bulldogs scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the second inning after an error allowed a Bulldog to score with two outs to cut the lead to 7-1.
 
The Lady Tigers scored the final four runs of the game in the seventh inning for the 10 run win.  After a foul out to begin the inning, Harris walked and Jones followed up with a two-run home run for a 9-1 lead.  Humes doubled to center field and a pop out recorded the second out of the inning.  Sophomore pinch hitter Hannah Deckle singled to right field and freshman pinch hitter Jordan Stubbs doubled to right field to drive home Humes for a 10-1 lead.
 
Baker singled to right field to drive home Deckle for an 11-1 lead, but Stubbs was thrown out trying to stretch it to third for the final out of the inning.
 
The Bulldogs were led by Kaniesha Pettiford, who collected two of the three hits and scored the only run, while Dezirae Rhodes recorded the other hit.  On the mound, Ragin Prunty picked up the loss in a complete game giving up 10 earned runs on 11 hits.
 
South Carolina State 9, Savannah State 8 (Game Two)
Jones went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Humes went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and Cyrus recorded two RBIs. On the mound, junior pitcher Faith Dickerson picked up the loss in a complete game giving up six earned runs on 12 hits with six strikeouts.
 
Savannah State scored five runs in the first inning to take a 5-0 lead after the first half inning.  After a pop out to start the game, Baker doubled to right field and Harris singled to center field to put runners on the corners with one out.  Jones doubled to left field to score both Baker and Harris for a 2-0 lead and Humes hit an infield single to advance Jones to third for runners on the corners with one out.
 
Byers singled through the left side to score Jones for a 3-0 lead and Cyrus grounded out to score Humes for a 4-0 lead.  Lesure walked and sophomore Shayna Byers stole home for a 5-0 lead, but a strikeout ended the inning.
 
SCSU got a run back in the bottom half of the inning after a sacrifice fly to score a Bulldog, who reached on base because of an error to cut the lead to 5-1.
 
The Lady Tigers scored another run in the top of the second inning to increase the lead to 6-1 after Eccles scored from third after back-to-back stolen bases, but the Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning after an RBI single, an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 6-4.
 
The Bulldogs scored three runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-6 lead after an RBI single and a two-run double, but the Lady Tigers bounced back to score two runs in the top of the seventh inning to take an 8-7 lead after Humes doubled to drive home Jones to tie the game at seven and Cyrus doubled to left field to drive home Byers to take a run lead, 8-7.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and a runner on first and second, an error allowed two runs to score to give the Bulldogs the one run win.
 
The Bulldogs were led by Alston Jenkins going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Meagan Prunty going 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs.  On the mound, Jada Lake picked up the win in a complete game giving up seven earned runs on nine hits.
 
The final game of the series is Sunday at noon.
 
Savannah State 11, South Carolina State 1 (Apr 28, 2018 at Orangeburg,SC) (Game 1)
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Savannah State...... 250 000 4 - 11 11  2      (12-20, 9-9 647)
South Carolina State 010 000 0 -  1  3  1      (1-30, 1-12 647)
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Pitchers: Savannah State - WILLIAMS, Tanisha and CYRUS, Kelsey; STUBBS, Jordan.
South Carolina State - Prunty,Ragin and Jenkins,Alston.
Win-WILLIAMS, Tanisha  Loss-Prunty,Ragin  T-2:15  A-77
HR SSUSB - JONES, Cortni.
 
South Carolina State 9, Savannah State 8 (Apr 28, 2018 at orangeburg, SC) (Game 2)
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Savannah State...... 510 000 2 -  8  9  2      (12-21, 9-10)
South Carolina State 130 003 2 -  9 12  1      (2-30, 2-12)
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Pitchers: Savannah State - DICKERSON, Faith and CYRUS, Kelsey. South Carolina State - Lake,Jada
and Rhodes,Dezirae.
Win-Lake,Jada  Loss-DICKERSON, Faith  T-2:00  A-88
 
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