ALBANY, Ga. -- Miles entered play Friday at the 2019 SIAC Baseball Tournament knowing a loss would end its season. Instead, the Golden Bears earned two rousing victories, 8-3 over Benedict and 12-8 over Kentucky State, at the Paul Eames Sports Complex to advance to the final four of the tourney. Zavian Caldwell and Matthew McDonald were solid on the mound for Miles (25-22) while the offense produced 20 runs on 21 hits, including an epic 8-run inning that saved the team's season.

Miles 8, Benedict 3

The Golden Bears jumped on Benedict (14-20) early, then added runs late after the Tigers made the game close. For the second consecutive game, Destin Davidson blasted a 3-run home run in the first inning to stake Miles to a 4-0 advantage. Caldwell (4-1) made those runs stand up through the first five innings, giving up just three hits, striking out six and allowing just one runner to reach second base.

But the Tigers came alive in the sixth, scoring once before adding two more in the seventh to cut their deficit to 4-3 and ended Caldwell's evening (7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 8 K). But Miles added two runs in the eighth on a RBI single that plated Peyton Logan and - on an error - Brandon Conner scored for a 6-3 lead. Logan and Conner added RBI in the ninth while Tanner Stinnett and Noah Ledbetter shut the door to eliminate Benedict.

Miles 12, Kentucky State 8

Miles found itself in a huge hole, trailing 7-1 after three innings and looking as if it would be eliminated by the Thorobreds for the second straight season. But the Golden Bears fought back, scoring eight runs in the top of the fourth before riding a fantastic relief effort from McDonald to victory.

KSU (26-17-1) scored in the bottom of the first by a RBI double by Ryne Benson tied the game at 1 in the top of the second. Starting pitcher Andrew Datcher had righted the ship after the first inning and had got the first two outs in the third before the wheels fell off. With a runner on third and two outs, Datcher intentionally walked Dom Lawson. But a two-run double by Camerson Starks started an avalanche where KSU had four hits and two Miles errors that led to six runs and big trouble.

McDonald, a freshman, was summoned from the bullpen and struck out Russell Sims to stop the bleeding. But it was the offensive response in Miles' next at-bat that turned the game around. The first six hitters reached base against starter Jacob Kelly. Cody Hamilton got the scoring started with a two-run single and a bases-loaded walk to Alex Bentley ended the day for Kelly.

Joe Crisp came in for the Thorobreds and immediately hit Dalton Roberts with his first pitch to bring in another run before walking Jacob Bisharat to plate another. Peyton Logan would ground into a double play but it also brought in a run to tie the game at 7. Conner would strike out swinging but reached first on a wild pitch that scored Roberts to give Miles the lead. He would score the eighth run of the inning when Davidson doubled to left for a 9-7 advantage.

After quickly being given the lead, McDonald (3-0) made it stand up. He tossed 4 2/3 innings of five-hit ball, allowing just one run while striking out two. KSU would get to within 9-8 in the sixth but Miles scored three times in the seventh on a two-run double by Bisharat and a RBI single by Logan. The Thorobreds would put runners on first and second against McDonald in the eighth to end his evening, but Will Cantey came in and got the final five outs for his sixth save.

UP NEXT - Miles will play No. 8-seed Morehouse Saturday at noon. A win would advance them to another elimination game against the loser of the Albany State-Spring Hill contest at 4 p.m.