Golden Rams sweep Savannah State at home

ALBANY — By the time the weekend was over, the pattern was impossible to miss.

The Albany State Golden Rams baseball would strike early, deliver a timely hit when it mattered most and let their pitching take care of the rest.

That formula carried Albany State to a three-game SIAC sweep of the Savannah State Tigers baseball at Albany State West, with the Golden Rams winning 13-6, 4-3 and 6-1.

The sweep improved Albany State to 13-7 overall and 10-2 in the conference, while also extending the Golden Rams’ dominance at home. Albany State is now a perfect 11-0 at Albany State West this season.

“It was a good weekend as far as winning three games against a very talented ball team,” Albany State head coach Scot Hemmings said. “I was thrilled with the way Sam Crew and Calvin Baker threw this weekend. Our offense is still sputtering a little but we managed to pound out a few big hits and capitalize on their mistakes. Overall I am pleased with the effort but free passes continue to haunt us and errors that come from a lack of focus, but again we are trending in the right direction. I want us to continue to get better each game as winning will be a byproduct of our commitment to staying with our technique and fundamentals.”

Albany State wasted no time setting the tone in the series opener Friday, erupting for six runs in the first inning and never looking back in a 13-6 victory.

The Golden Rams capitalized on early walks and timely hits to build the lead. Isaiah Haygood and Mason Turner each drove in runs during the rally before senior shortstop Emory Stephens added an RBI single. Ty Grover followed with a two-run single and Jaden Camp capped the inning with a sacrifice fly.

Albany State finished the opener with 14 hits as the offense continued to apply pressure throughout the afternoon. Turner added an RBI double in the fourth inning, Former Worth County star David Cooper delivered an RBI single in the fifth and the Golden Rams broke the game open again in the seventh with four more runs.

Mylon Uribe led the attack with three hits, while Grover, Cooper, Stephens and Camp all delivered key hits as the Golden Rams controlled the game from the start. 

Game two provided the weekend’s biggest moment.

Savannah State carried a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh before Albany State’s offense suddenly came to life.

Senior third baseman Luke Addison, a Terrell Academy grad, ignited the rally with an RBI single and Tyler Turner followed with another run-scoring hit to trim the deficit to one. Moments later, a pair of wild pitches allowed Addison and Jaden Camp to score, completing the dramatic four-run rally and giving Albany State a 4-3 victory.

Andrew Keown, a freshman from Miller County, earned the win in relief after the Golden Rams’ pitching staff kept the game within reach. Worth County alum Jeremiah Reddell started and worked three innings, while Colin Loeffler added two scoreless frames before Keown closed the door.

Albany State closed out the series Sunday with another strong performance in a 6-1 victory.

After Savannah State scored early, the Golden Rams responded quickly in the second inning when David Kile drove in Emory Stephens with an RBI groundout. Defensive pressure and aggressive baserunning helped Albany State score two more runs in the inning to take control.

The Golden Rams added insurance runs later on an RBI single by Arin Chevers, a run-producing fielder’s choice by Mylon Uribe and an RBI single from Addison.

On the mound, Samuel Crew delivered the most dominant pitching performance of the weekend, throwing seven strong innings while allowing just one run and striking out seven batters. Luke Hayes finished the game with two scoreless innings of relief to secure the sweep. 

Stephens and Addison each recorded two hits in the finale while Chevers, Uribe and Kile delivered key RBIs.

When Albany State needed a hit, it found one. When it needed an out, the pitching delivered.

With the sweep, the Golden Rams continued to build momentum in the SIAC race while proving that Albany State West has become a difficult place for visiting teams to survive.

Albany State will return to action Tuesday with a road trip to Milledgeville to face Georgia College before traveling to Jacksonville for a three-game conference series against Edward Waters next weekend.