Claflin Wins SIAC Series Opener Against Benedict
Eric McElveen slides into home for one of his runs

Claflin Wins SIAC Series Opener Against Benedict

Morris Wright

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Greenville, S.C. -- Dillon Parker pitched six strong innings and the Panthers offense scored in every inning except three as Claflin University upended Benedict College, 16-6, in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) East Division baseball game on Friday (Apr. 20) at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.
 
The contest was part of the HBCU Classic. The second game of the three-game series is slated for Tiger Field in Columbia, S.C. on Sunday (Apr. 22) at 1 p.m. The final game of the series is scheduled for Monday (Apr. 23) at Spirit Communications Park, home of the Columbia Fireflies, in Columbia, S.C. for the Inaugural Capital City Baseball Classic. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
The win improved the Panthers record to 14-26 overall and 10-4 in the SIAC, while Benedict is now 17-16 and 9-6.
 
Dillon Parker, 5-3 on the season, allowed the Benedict batters only four hits while striking out four.
Brian Nevils, 4-3, took the loss for Benedict.
 
Claflin finished the game with 13 hits but stranded 17 runners. The Panthers also had a season high 16 walks, surpassing the mark of 12 set against Lane College (Mar. 17).
 
Johnathan Parnell II had four walks for the Panthers.
 
Claflin reached the scoreboard first in the top of second-inning on an RBI single from Harold Smith that brought in Eric McElveen, who opened the inning with a single.
 
After Benedict tied the contest and went ahead 2-1 in its bottom half of the second, the Panthers regained the lead for good by scoring three runs in the third inning for 4-2 lead. In the inning, Clyde Parker and Craig Hopkins produced an RBI each, while McElveen stole home for the third run.
 
Benedict picked up a run in the third to trail 4-3. The Tigers wouldn't score again until the eight with three runs.
 
The Panthers continued to increase their lead, scoring an unearned run in the fourth, one in the fifth on Darrell Langston run-scoring single, followed by three more in the sixth, of which two runs were unearned.
Claflin led 9-3 at that point.
 
In the seventh, the Panthers blew the contest open with seventh runs on four hits to lead 16-3.
 
Claflin was led by Langston, Smith and Grayland Fowler with three hits and two RBIs each.
 
McElveen also collected three hits for the Panthers with an RBI and scored four times. Sprull had a hit and scored three runs with two RBIs for Claflin.
 
Joseph Macaluso had two hits for Benedict.
 
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