Armando Valentin hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to lead Benedict College to a 9-8 win over Lincoln University Monday afternoon at Tiger field in Columbia South Carolina.

The Lions fall to 3-5 with the loss.  Benedict improves to 4-2.

Joshua Roberson (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley HS) went 2-for-4 and had three RBI while Marquis Coleman (Middle River , Md./Baltimore Polytech HS) also recorded a 2-for-4 day, driving in two runs.  Terence Berry (Dover, N.J./Dover HS) started and pitched 6.2 innings giving up five runs on five hits while striking out five.  Marcos Castillo (Brooklyn, N.Y./HS of Telecommunications) took the loss, closing out the game allowing four runs on three hits, including Valentin's game winner with nobody out in the ninth inning.

The Lions jumped on Tiger starter Reinaldo Santiago, scoring twice in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.  Ronald Lashley (Brooklyn, N.Y./Benjamin Banneker Academy) was hit by a pitch to lead off the game as Lincoln loaded the bases with nobody out to bring up Roberson, who slashed a single up the middle to score Lashley and Michael Howard (Bronx, N.Y./Utica College), who had reached on an error. 

Lincoln scored their third run in the sixth inning.  Gabriel Santiago (Bronx, N.Y./Mount Saint Michael Academy) smacked a two-out double to left field and came around to score on Brendan Sherman-Johnson (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytech HS)'s RBI single through the right side.

Benedict had their big inning in the bottom of the seventh, tagging Berry for five runs as they took a 5-3 lead.  The big blow was Andrew McCoy's bases loaded double through the left side with two outs, clearing the bases and chasing Berry from the game.  Castillo came in and struck out Darian Williams to end the threat.

The Lions rallied to re-take the lead in the eighth inning, scoring three times on two hits.   Roberson singled with two outs to start the rally and advanced to third on an infield error. Sherman-Johnson walked to load the bases and Roberson later scored on a passed ball to pull Lincoln within one 5-4.  After Aiden Gomes (Bronx, N.Y./LaSalle Academy) walked to load the bases again, Coleman lashed a single through the right side to score Dominic Rheubottom (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytech HS) (pinch-running for Santiago) and Orlando Roberson (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley HS) (pinch running for Sherman Johnson), putting Lincoln back on top 6-5.

A bases load hit batter by Castillo followed by a bases loaded walk plated two more runs for the Tigers in the bottom of the eighth as they took the lead back from the Lions 8-7. 

In the top of the ninth inning, Lashley was hit by a pitch for the second time and scored on Howard's double.  Howard advanced to third on an infield groundout and scored on Josh Roberson's sacrifice fly.

Castillo faced just two batters in the bottom of the ninth as Williams singled up the middle and Valentin followed with the game-winning two run home run over the left field fence, giving the Tigers the one-run win.

The Lions return to action tomorrow morning with the second of their two-game series with the Tigers.  First pitch is slated for 10:00 a.m.