Morehouse Wins First Game of Weekend Series Against Tuskegee
Braves World Series Trophy Tour to Highlight Sunday’s Double Hitter
The Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College won their first game since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down baseball at the premiere all-male HBCU on Saturday, defeating Tuskegee University 8–4.
Saturday’s game was the prelude for a weekend series that will feature a display of the Atlanta Braves 2021 World Series Trophy before the start of the double hitter on Sunday. Morehouse Coach Antonio Grissom expects the Braves trophy tour to bring over 2000 fans out to see the World Series trophy and the Morehouse-Tuskegee clash on the diamond.
Morehouse came into the contest 0–4 on the season and wasted no time putting three runs on the board in the first inning.
Juilyen Mohammed, the junior shortstop from Powder Springs, Georgia, led the inning off with a single; he later scored on a triple to left field off the bat of Alan Brown. Miles Grayson drove Brown in with a Sacrifice Fly to the left fielder, and Derrick Odom scored on a fielder’s choice.
By the fourth inning, Morehouse was up 6–0. Then in the top of the fifth, Tuskegee scores an unearned run and adds another run in the sixth, trailing 6–2 before Morehouse puts two runs on the board on two hit batters with the bases loaded, expanding their lead to 8–2. Tuskegee plates two runs in the eighth inning, on a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly, nudging a bit closer to the Maroon Tigers at 8–4. The Golden Tigers could get no closer, leaving 27 runners on base, and in two innings failed to score a run with the bases loaded.
“We have to get better at timing hitting,” Coach Reginald Hollins said, summing up his team’s play.
Morehouse moves to 1–4 on the year. Casey Coates picks up the win, going five innings, giving up two runs on two hits. Alan Brown collected two hits in four at-bats and drove in two runs. Miles Grayson drove in two runs in a 1–3 outing. Ricardo Vega and Amyr Smith joined Brown with two hits in four plate appearances.
“We played some good baseball today. We got some young people, and there is a lot of work to do. We are a work in progress, we got back to school late, but I am pleased with how we played today, Coach Grissom said.
Tuskegee remains winless on the season at 0–2. Savontae Williams pitched six credible innings for Tuskegee, striking out five batters on 101 pitches. The hitting star of the game was Tuskegee’s, Joshua Lewis. He went 3–5 and scored two runs. Tuskegee is expected to pitch pro prospect, Jalan Daniels from Stone Mountain’s Redan High School in Sunday’s nightcap.
Harold Michael Harvey is the Living Now 2020 Bronze Medal winner for his memoir Freaknik Lawyer: A Memoir on the Craft of Resistance. He is the author of a book on Negro Leagues Baseball, The Duke of 18th & Vine: Bob Kendrick Pitches Negro Leagues Baseball. He writes feature stories for Black College Nines. Com. Harvey is a member of the Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, HBCU and PRO Sports Media Association, and the Legends Committee for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Harvey is an engaging speaker. Contact Harvey at hmharvey@haroldmichaelharvey.com.
