The Albany State University Golden Rams are one game closer to the 2012 SIAC championship title after knocking off top-seed Claflin University 9-2 Friday afternoon to advance to the semifinals. The Rams will face Stillman College, the No. 1 seed in the West Division, Saturday at 3 p.m. at Eagle Memorial Park in Ozark, Ala. Stillman beat Kentucky State 9-7 to advance.

The Golden Rams saw action in the first inning, scoring three runs off three hits. Allen Hardy hit a single to right field and drove in Eddie Mathis. Later in the inning, Stephen Lightfoot slammed a double to right and drove in Hardy and Ricky Harris to take a 3-0 lead with two outs.

Claflin's Brett Bullard scored off a passed ball in the bottom half to give the Panthers a point. The Panthers would not score again until the seventh inning, when Cory Huck scored off Bullard's base hit to right field. Bullard went 1-for-3 with the RBI.

ASU added three more points in the top of the second inning after Patrick Smith doubled down the left line, advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored off Mathis' single up the middle. Mathis stole second base, advanced to second and scored off passed balls for the 5-1 lead. William Smalls walked, stole second base and Harris walked. Hardy's RBI double to left field scored Smalls and ASU led 6-1.

After four and a half scoreless innings, Albany State's Theodore Tramontana came in to pinch hit, doubled to left field and drove in Hardy in the seventh inning. The Golden Rams sealed the victory in the eighth inning after adding two more runs. Smalls hit a double to right field and advanced Jacob Campbell to second base. Harris slammed a an RBI single to right field and Campbell scored. Smalls advanced to third on the play and scored on Hardy's sacrifice fly to left field.        

ASU's Demonzio Stubbs pitched a complete game for the Rams, struck out one batter and allowed one earned run. Pitcher Tamar Williams took the loss for Claflin and gave up six runs off six hits before he was replaced on the mound by Vincente Ochoa, who finished the game. Ochoa allowed three runs off eight hits and struck out two batters.

The Golden Rams posted 14 hits and were led by Hardy, who was 2-for-3 with three RBI, and Lightfoot, who went 1-for 4 with two RBI. Harris went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Mathis was 2-for-5 with an RBI and Tramontana was 1-for-1 with an RBI.
In Saturday games, Kentucky State and Miles College will face off at 9 a.m., followed by Clafln and Paine College at noon. Albany State will face Stillman, the team that beat the Golden Rams in last year's championship game, today at 3 p.m. The nightcap will feature the winners of the KSU-Miles and Claflin-Paine games. If ASU wins, the Golden Rams will play in the championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m. If they lose, they will play Sunday at 10 a.m.

For more information about the tournament, results and updates throughout the event, visit the baseball championship page at www.thesiac.com. Follow the SIAC on Twitter (@TheSIAC) and ‘like’ the SIAC on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thesiac) for the latest scores and updates.
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2012 SIAC Baseball Championship Schedule/Results:
Thursday, April 26
Game 1 - Claflin 17, Tuskegee 7  
Game 2 - Albany State 10, Miles 9
Game 3 - Stillman 3, Benedict 2 
Game 4 - Kentucky State 9, Paine 7

Friday, April 27
Game 5 - 9:00 am - Miles 9, Tuskegee 8
Game 6 - 12:00 pm - Paine 15, Benedict 5
Game 7 - 3:00 pm - Albany State 9 , Claflin 2
Game 8 - 6:00 pm - Stillman 9, Kentucky State 7
 
Saturday, April 28
Game 9 - 9:00 am - Kentucky State vs. Miles
Game 10 - 12:00 pm - Claflin vs. Paine
Game 11 - 3:00 pm - Albany State vs. Stillman
Game 12 - 6:00 pm - Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10

Sunday, April 29
Game 13 - 10:00 am - Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12
Game 14 - 1:00 pm - Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13

Monday, April 30
**Game 15 - 10:00 a.m.

**If necessary (Game will be played only if ‘Winner of Game 11’ loses in Game 14)