HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Stillman College made history Tuesday night, tossing a combined no-hitter in a 21-0 win over Oakwood University, its first no-no in a decade and first in the Tigers’ current NAIA era. Steven Oates, Hayes Brown and Mason Collins combined for the Opening Day no-hitter with a combined 18 strikeouts.
Stillman opened the season with a 26-2 win over Oakwood at John Hunt Park, then pieced together the 21-0 shutout. The combined 47-2 day is the Tigers’ best since shutting out Lane College by a combined 53-0 in a doubleheader sweep on March 9, 2013. That was also the day of the Tigers’ last two no-hitters, including a perfect game by former Tiger Joey Flaletta.
The no-hitter is the second NAIA no-hitter of the season, following a Feb. 4 no-hitter by Southwest Christian over Dillard University. It is the fifth in college baseball for the 2023 season.
GAME 1: STILLMAN 26, OAKWOOD 2
Nine different Stillman players had one hit apiece in the season-opener, while Stillman drew 16 walks to help produce its 26 runs in the first game. The Tigers’ 26 runs are the most in Stillman’s current NAIA era and most since scoring 36 and 29 runs in back-to-back games against Lane College in 2013.
Sieas Elliot hit the first home run of the season for the Tigers in the top of the seventh. Collins had a three-run triple in the game to join TJ Blackmon with three RBIs each to lead the Tigers.
Griff Minor (1-0) led a four-man rotation on the mound, allowing one run off two hits. He struck out six through three innings. Justin Cummings pitched two innings, Isidro Jimenez and Cody Clark each threw one inning.
GAME 2: STILLMAN 21, OAKWOOD 0
Leadoff hitter Tre’en Dorsett hit 3-for-4 with a walk and four RBI in his first appearance of the season. Blackmon collected two more RBI in the game to finish with five on the day. Cummings and Cole Odom each had two hits, while Odom drove in three runs and Cummings had two RBI.
In the combined no-hit pitching performance, Steven Oates (1-0) pitched the first three innings on the mound. He struck out eight with his only blemish being a hit batter. Hayes Brown struck out four, walked one and hit one. Collins closed the last two innings, striking out all six batters faced.
NEXT: Stillman (2-0) will host Tuskegee University on Saturday, Feb. 11 for a non-conference HBCU doubleheader in its home opener at Tiger Field.