Box Score | Updated Bracket | Championship Central

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 16, 2019—Dawnoven Smith smacked a two-run homer in the seventh to tie it, then Dustin Baber singled home Brandon Melendez in the eighth to help North Carolina A&T State fend off Savannah State’s upset bid as the Aggies posted a 5-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Championship victory Thursday at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The defending champion Aggies (29-22) advanced to Friday’s 12 p.m. semifinal against either Florida A&M or Norfolk State. Savannah State (13-26-1) will face Delaware State in an elimination game at 7 p.m. Thursday night.

A team that needed to win two games on the final weekend of regular-season play just to qualify for the tournament, Savannah State showed continued momentum from Wednesday’s upset of Delaware State to take a 3-0 first inning lead in the first inning and kept that lead behind a strong effort on the mound from senior Caleb Hill.

Down 4-2, the Aggies seized control with Smith’s two-out shot to left field.

"I'm a senior. I have been in these situations before, Smith said. “I am expected to come through. You never guess a home run, but it felt good to put a good swing on it.”
 
Leon Davidson, who picked up the win, and Leon Hunter combined for two and two-third innings of scoreless relief for the Aggies, and Smith led a 12-hit attack with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate.  
 
“"We didn't get off to a good start and then we had a couple of tough plays that we turned into tougher plays. All of sudden, early in the game, you're down 3-0. You're not expecting that,” Aggies head coach Ben Hall said. ”But it's tournament baseball and if you're not tuned in from the beginning, you're going to fall behind like that. This time of the year, when that happens, you have to respond. We were taking good at-bats, we just had to stick with it and we ended up getting some big hits in the end there."

Savannah State strung together four hits as it plated three runs in the first. Justin Washington and Turner Davis each had an RBI single in the rally.

Dwayne Franklin had three hits for the Tigers.

Hill went seven and two-third innings, absorbing the loss.

“The kids played hard and just came up on the short end,” Savannah State head coach Carlton Hardy said. “Hill threw a heck of a game. That’s three consecutive opportunities he’s given us to win a ball game.”