ALBANY, Ga. – On Little League Day, the Golden Rams gave their young fans an exciting ending. Hill Corley lined a walk-off single scoring Luke Addison giving Albany State the bottom of the ninth, 6-5, victory in game one and then drove in the game-winning run with another single in the home fourth of a 10-6 victory for the sweep over Spring Hill College starting off the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference weekend series on a high note.
With the ASU lead 5-2 through five inning, Spring Hill cut the margin to a single run, 5-4, with a pair of scores in the top of the sixth. The visiting Badgers tied the contest, 5-5, on a home error in the seventh. After Tyler Bullock fanned the final two Badger hitters in the top of the ninth, Addison led off with a single and was sacrificed to second on Seth Stargell's bunt to set up Corley's winning walk-off hit.
Leading 5-2 going to the home fourth frame, Logsdon, Ross and Addison walked, singled and walked to load the bases to start the at bat. Smith followed with a ground out to second to bring Logsdon home, before Corley drove in Ross with a single to make it 7-2 for the second of three tallies in the frame. Following Nathan Saavedra singling home the final ASU run in the sixth, Addison set Spring Hill down in order in the seventh, including a strikeout of the final out.
On the strength of 23 hits over the 16 frames, ASU saw both Ross and Saavedra account for four apiece to lead the effort. Ross went 4 for 9 with two runs score, while Saavedra was 4 for 7 with a double and three RBI. The four Golden Rams of Corley, Logsdon, Smith and Austin Roberts added three each of the total. With his pair of game-winning hits, Corley scored three times and drove in three. Logsdon was 3 for 5 in the first game and three runs on the day, while Smith was 3 for 3 in the opening contest with a double and a solo home run and four total runs and three RBI. Roberts contributed two singles and a double and four RBI.
In Game 1, Bullock shut the door on the ASU mound over the final two innings. The pitcher allowed only a one-out hit in the top of the ninth and fanned three for the win. For the second contest, Brady Davis covered the first four innings where he gave up three earned runs and seven hits with three strikeouts for the victory.
Game 1
In the top of the three, the Badgers used a lead-off solo homer and a pair of doubles to take a 2-0 lead. ASU did not let it stand long. The Golden Rams loaded the bases right off when Dominic Rutigliano walked and Logsdon and Ross had back-to-back singles. Addison lofted a sac fly, before Smith drove in the second teammate to tie the game at 2-2. Corley laid down a sac bunt to plate the third and Roberts singled home the final tally for a 4-2 score.
Smith led off the home fifth with a solo home run, before Spring Hill College put its three runs over the sixth and seventh innings for the 5-5 tie.
Game 2
The Badgers went ahead from the start with a 3-run home run in the top of the first. ASU answered back with a Roberts two-run single followed by Saavedra's RBI double for a 3-3 tie.
In the third, Saavedra was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the first run and Emory Stephens lofted a sac fly for the team's first lead, 5-3.
Saavedra added a run-scoring single in the home sixth for the final score at 10-6.
ASU and Spring Hill will finish the 3-game series on Sunday afternoon (March 17) in an 11:00 a.m. single game.
