Eason Bing had seven hits and two stolen bases while
Justice Page homered twice as the Clark Atlanta University Panthers swept a doubleheader against Benedict College Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
Clark Atlanta (10-25, 3-16 SIAC) earned their third win in a row for the first time since 2019 win they did it twice. CAU has won three of their last four games against Benedict (3-29, 2-19 SIAC).
In the first game Saturday, CAU, the Panthers had a big, three-run second inning when Bing singled in a run and scored on a
Dorian Andrews base hit. Andrews then scored on a double steal that put the Panthers up 3-0. They added another run in the fourth when
Jalen Mason drove in Bing with a single to right field to make it 4-1.
The Panthers broke the game open in the fifth when they put up ten runs. They got RBI hits from Bing, Andrews, Mason, DeAndre Swift,
Darrin Brown,
Andrew Gaskin and
Arthur Burrell. CAU won the game 15-4.
Bing went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. He also stole two bases. Mason had three hits, two RBIs and scored a run, while Brown had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. On the mound,
Asa Waites went five innings to get the win. He gave up only two hits, three runs and struck out four.
Benedict only managed three hits. Taj Bates singled and drove in a run, while Jamell Mitchell and Ryan Chesney both singled and scored. Jorge Baez took the loss, giving up eight hits and eight runs (seven earned) over four-and-one-third innings. He struck out five.
The second game was much closer as the two teams were in a tight 4-4 game heading into the fifth inning. But Clark Atlanta hit three homers in the fifth – two of them by Page, a solo shot and then a grand slam. CAU put up nine runs in the inning.
But Benedict didn't go away quietly. The Tigers countered with seven runs of their own as Reno Brock's triple drove in two, then he scored on a Mitchell single, followed by Mitchell scoring on a fielder's choice. Chesney then tripled in a run and then scored on a passed ball to make it 13-11.
CAU tacked on two more runs in the seventh with RBI singles from Bing and Mason to give the Panthers a 15-11 victory.
Page had a huge day, going 4-for-5 with two homers, five RBIs and three runs scored. Bing had another big game, going 3-for-4 with a double and two singles. He drove in two runs and scored three times. Gaskin had two hits, drove in two runs and scored once while also walking twice. Mason and Burrell both had two hits, with Mason driving in two runs and Burrell driving in one.
On the mound,
Lorenzo Petersen earned the win, going four-and-two-thirds innings and giving up eight hits and 11 runs, eight of them earned. He walked eight and struck out two.
Brock had two hits and two RBIs for Benedict and Jalen McDuffie added two hits, an RBI and two runs scored. Craig Randolph took the loss for Benedict, giving up eight hits and six runs over four-and-one-third innings. He struck out four and walked five.
The two teams hook up again Sunday with a single game that begins at 2 p.m. The Panther return home on for a single game on Friday April 15 at 4 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday, April 16 at 2 pm., against Atlanta University Center rival Morehouse College.
