OZARK, Ala. – Stillman's Nick Vitale hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to break a tie game and lift Stillman to a 5-4 victory over the Benedict Tigers in the opening round of the 2016 SIAC Baseball Championship at Historic Eagle Field.

Benedict drops into the loser's bracket and will face Kentucky State at 9 a.m. on Friday in an elimination game.

The Tigers rallied from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game with three runs in the seventh inning. With runners on second and third, John Holleran hit a two-out single up the middle to score Marcelino Irizarry.  Shomarii Thomas followed with a single to score Joel Manzano. After a pitching change for Stillman, David White Jr. hit a single through the left side to score Holleran, but Thomas was thrown out trying to reach third base.

Stillman broke the 4-4 tie in the eighth inning when Vitale hit a two-out, two-strike homer over the wall in right-center field.

Benedict took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when White hit a two-out double to right field to score Holleran.

Stillman came back with four runs in the second inning, getting a pair of runs on a bases-loaded double, an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.