Extra-Inning Rally Propels Bucs over Savannah State

Freshman Taylor Black had a game-winning double in the 10th inning on Wednesday.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Freshman Taylor Black’s team-high 11th double may have been his most important, bringing home two runs as part of a four-run rally in the 10th inning by the CSU baseball team on Wednesday. After being stifled on offense for most of the afternoon, the Buccaneers’ outburst in extra innings led them over Savannah State 5-1. Junior Kory Morian added a two-RBI single to pad the lead.

Senior Payton Tweddale (2-2) improved to .500 on the season by pitching 4.2 innings of relief for the Bucs. He allowed just two hits while striking out four Savannah State (18-10) batters to lead CSU (11-15, 1-2 Big South) to victory. Alford Arnold pitched nine strong innings for the Tigers before finally showing a chink in his armor in the 10th. He went 9.2 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, with seven strikeouts and four walks.

Junior Mark Perry led off the game by drawing a walk in the top of the first inning, but was caught stealing one out to later to clear the bases. That was a familiar sight for the Buccaneers as Arnold held them without another base runner until freshman Tyler Thornburg led off the sixth inning with a single down the left field line.

Getting the first start on the mound of his collegiate career, CSU freshman Jesse Cadenhead was up to the task. He kept the Tigers without a hit until Dexter Kelley hit a double with one out in the bottom of the third inning. A bunt single by Tristan Smith moved Kelley to third and gave Savannah State runners on the corners with one down. Perry kept the game scoreless, however, when he fielded a groundball and fired home to get Kelley at the plate.

The Tigers threatened again in the bottom of the fourth, getting a lead-off single from Brandon Javis. A wild pitch put him in scoring position before Cadenhead got the next two Tigers out on swinging strikeouts. After hitting a batter, the freshman righty got Glen Wormley to foul out behind the plate to end the inning. Savannah State had a runner in scoring position with two outs in the next inning, but Cadenhead recorded another one of his five strikeouts to keep the game scoreless.

CSU final broke the deadlock in the top of the sixth inning, capitalizing on a throwing error. Thornburg led off the inning with his single before advancing to third on an errant throw when the second baseman tried to field a grounder by Black. With runners on the corners, Perry laid down a safety squeeze bunt that gave Thornburg time to come home for the unearned run.

The advantage didn’t last long, however, as an error by the Bucs in the bottom of the half inning helped Savannah State tie the game. Javis reached on the miscue and was advanced to second on Brett Pointer’s sacrifice bunt. With the bases loaded after Matthew Nowacki reached on a fielder’s choice and Andrew Mendez walked, Brett Johnson delivered a pinch hit single into to bring Javis home and make it a 1-1 game.

That’s where the game remained through nine innings, sending the contest into extra frames. The additional inning seemed to spark the CSU offense, which scored four runs in the top of the 10th to claim the victory. Freshman Tom Burkett started the rally, putting a one-out single into left field before advancing to second on another single by Thornburg. Junior Jake Cox delivered a third straight single and Burkett was waved around in an attempt to break the tie. But a strong throw from center field got Burkett at the plate and kept the Bucs from taking the lead.

Now with two outs, Black stepped in and delivered a double to right center that brought Thornburg and Cox home to give CSU the 3-1 lead. After Perry drew a walk and stole second, Morian added some insurance to the advantage, singling down the left field line to score Black and Perry.

With the Bucs leading 5-1, Tweddale returned to the mound to safeguard his team’s lead. After Kyle Wilkerson led off with a double, Tweddale got a pop out for one away. Javis then flied out to right field and Thornburg ended the game by throwing out Wilkerson, who was trying to advance to third on the fly ball.

CSU returns to conference action this weekend when High Point comes to Buccaneer Field. The teams will begin a three-game series at 2 p.m. on Friday before wrapping it up with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m.