Albany State baseball takes two from Claflin

ALBANY — The Albany State baseball team recorded a shutout in one contest and rallied in the second to get a pair of wins Saturday afternoon. In a key SIAC doubleheader, ASU beat Claflin University 9-0 and 5-3.

With the victories, the Rams improved to 10-20 overall and 8-3 in league play. The Panthers fell to 9-24, 3-8.

In the first game after two scoreless innings, Albany State used the third stanza to begin its scoring. Kelvin Wimbish doubled to score Chasen Roulhac for a 1-0 lead. Nicolas Griggs followed with a triple to center that scored Wimbish, and he later scored for a 3-0 Albany State edge.

The Rams started to pull away in the bottom of the fifth inning. Griggs added a double to right field to score two runs. Then, Ryan McClendon’s sacrifice fly scored Wimbish. ASU scored five runs in the inning for an 8-0 advantage.

In the sixth inning, Albany State finished its scoring. Wimbish scored on a wild pitch for a 9-0 lead.

Griggs finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while McClendon added two RBIs. Tristan Rice (3-2) was the winning pitcher with five strikeouts. He only gave up two hits during the contest.

In the second game, Albany State began its scoring in the third inning. Quantico Dodson-Williams scored on a balk to give ASU a 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Robbie Feagan’s single to right field scored McClendon for a 2-0 edge.

Claflin rallied to take the lead in the top of the fifth inning. The Panthers scored three runs to take a 3-2 advantage.

However, the Rams would not be denied in the bottom of the inning. Griggs’ single to center field led to a score by Roulhac, and Theo Smith doubled to center for two more runs to put ASU ahead 5-3.

McClendon was 2-for-3 for the game, while Smith added two RBIs. Brandon Pearson (3-2) was the winning pitcher.

The two teams will complete the three-game series on Sunday. The contest will begin at 1 p.m.