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Loser’s Bracket
#4 SUNO Knights 10 def. #8 Philander Smith Panthers 4 | BOX SCORE
SUNO started day two keeping its GCAC championship hopes alive with a 10-4 win over Philander Smith. The Panthers’ four errors proved costly, with SUNO capitalizing on them by turning them into three of their eight runs. The Knights started the scoring in the first inning by stealing home off a throwing error followed by a sacrifice fly the very next play. They added two more runs to the board in the third inning sneaking a hit past left field for a two-run RBI double. The Panthers’ three runs in the seventh was enough to extend the game past the inning, going on to get a home run from catcher Aaditya Sur in the eighth. However, SUNO would put the game away in the ninth reeling in a foul ball in right field.
#6 Tougaloo Bulldogs 9 def. #7 Oakwood Ambassadors 7 | BOX SCORE
The Tougaloo Bulldogs outdueled the Oakwood Ambassadors, eking out a 9-7 win. The Bulldogs got out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two-run RBI single by Khilan Magee. After getting on board in the fourth with a home run by Mateo Hamm, Oakwood took control of the game in the sixth inning going on a hot hitting streak. The Ambassadors recorded four hits and six runs in the inning to take a 7-4 lead. This included hitting two home runs (one by Hamm and another by Dylan Grigorious) with one batter in between. Tougaloo punched back in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on a two-run inside-the-park home run by Orlando Truss. This was followed up by three straight singles (two RBIs) in the seventh to give the Bulldogs a 9-7 lead and would hold serve on their way to victory.
GCAC Awards Ceremony
Before play resumed, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference hosted a ceremony announcing its 2024 regular season individual and team awards honorees.
Leading off the player’s individual Talladega College first baseman Miguel Oropeza being named the Conference Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year. Wiley University pitcher Keyon Guillory was named the Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Rounding out the list was Wiley University's first and third baseman, Ryan Ready, who was named Newcomer of the Year. Taking home Coach of the Year honors was Wiley University’s Kendrick Biggs while Tougaloo College’s Dante Benford was named Assistant Coach of the Year.
Oropeza leads the GCAC with 80 total hits, 56 RBIs, 20 doubles, a .544 batting average, a .641 on-base percentage, and 16 double plays. He also has hit six home runs (tied for fourth in GCAC), four triples (tied for second in GCAC), and recorded 248 putouts (third in GCAC).
Guillory leads the GCAC with 87 strikeouts, averaging 12.43 strikeouts per nine innings. He also has recorded a 1.48 WHIP (third in GCAC) and a 4.57 ERA (seventh in GCAC).
Ready ranks second in the GCAC with eight home runs and 53 RBIs as well as ranking third with 50 hits and a .388 batting average. He also has the sixth most runs in the conference (42).
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