Kentucky State University baseball dropped a 12-9 contest to No. 1 seeded Miles College of Western Division in the SIAC Tournament on Saturday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
The Thorobreds (20-33, 12-9) took care of business earlier in the day with a 9-8 walk-off victory against Albany State University, but the loss to MC leaves KSU with a steep climb. For the Thorobreds to capture an SIAC title, they will have to win a game at noon on Sunday and win two more contests against Miles College at 3 pm and 6 pm.
The opening three frames weren’t kind to the Thorobreds as the offense was held scoreless and the Golden Bears punished sophomore starting Joshua Owsley for eight earned runs in his two and a third innings of work.
The KSU offense began to wake up in the top of the fifth inning, as junior shortstop Justin Stinson highlighted the three-run inning with a bases-loaded single to drive in senior designated hitter Brandon Kelley from third. Junior catcher Greg Alexander followed up two batters later with a double to left center, sending junior centerfielder Elijah Collins scampering home.
The freshman pitching duo of Connor Kelley and Matthew Oxford worked to keep the Golden Bears from another explosive inning as they combined for five and two-thirds innings of work, allowing four runs, three earned.
In the top of the ninth, with KSU trailing 12-5, the offense didn’t go down quietly. Alexander and sophomore first baseman Cameron Starks capped off the inning with RBI doubles, helping KSU put up a four spot in the inning. The late surge fell short as MC prevailed 12-9.
Alexander, Kelley, Starks, and Stinson all collected three-hit games as Alexander picked up three RBIs on the evening.
KSU will now face the winner of LeMoyne-Owen College and Albany State University at noon on Sunday.
by Eric Mathews