Wildcats Edged by Tigers in SIAC Elimination Game

ALBANY, Ga. – The Wildcats started well and proved to be a tough out on Friday morning. After a Tamani Owens triple and started the game, Fort Valley State saw Benedict plate single runs in the three middle innings and edge out the 3-1 win in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Elimination Game.

Owens drove the ball into the right-center field gap and raced to third to lead-off the game. Two batters later, Shakerra Geter lined the ball through the right side of the infield to score Owens and gave FVSU (16-24) a 1-0 lead. Benedict generated an unearned run in the third to tie the game off a single, a throwing error and a wild pitch before a two-out hit for a 1-1 tally.

Williams drives the ball up the middle
for a single in the 5th inning.

The Tigers opened the bottom of the fourth with a double, a sac bunt and the go-ahead run on a ground out to shortstop. Benedict added an insurance run in the fifth when two infield hits and a walk loaded the bases with no outs resulted in only a single score making it 3-1.

The Wildcats' Loney was hit by a pitch and Kayla Brown reached on a Tigers error were the only two players to reach base in the final two at bats.

Along with the Owens triple and run and Geter single, Ladayshia Williams drove a single up the middle, while both Ashley Simmons-Blair and Tyanna Askew posted bunt singles for the other FVSU hits on the day.

Brown had a strong performance in the circle. The freshman went five innings where she allowed seven hits, two earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts keeping her team in the game. Goolsby had a perfect sixth frame in relief with a strikeout.

For the year, FVSU posted its second double-digit win campaign in a row as it finished with 16 victories. The Wildcats also qualified for their first SIAC Tournament since 2014 with a team of only one senior and a half dozen freshman starters.

-Wildcats-

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