Florida A&M split a MEAC doubleheader with North Carolina A&T Sunday, winning the opening game, 8-5, before dropping the second game, 10-2 here at Moore-Kittles Field.

FAMU (9-12, 2-3 in MEAC) had 11 hits in Sunday's opener. Led by Derrick Shaw and Antonio Burke with two hits apiece. Gabriel Rodriguez and Adam Gordon each drove in a pair of runs.

The Rattlers erased a 1-0 A&T lead with a four-run rally in the bottom of the first, then added a single run in the second to build a 5-1 lead.

FAMU extended their lead to 8-1 by the sixth inning with a run in the fourth and two more runs in the sixth.

The Aggies (7-15, 3-2 in MEAC) scored once in the eighth before pushing across three more in the ninth to make the game interesting.

Sophomore Anthony Espin (2-4) turned in a complete game in the opening, scattering nine hits and allowing five runs in nine innings. He struck out six and walked three Sunday.

In the nightcap, the Aggies struck for seven runs in the fifth, turning their 1-0 lead into an 8-0 advantage.

FAMU answered in the bottom of the fifth with two runs in five hits to cut the Aggies' edge to 8-2, but could not manage much after that, as A&T scored two more runs in the seventh to close out the game.

The Rattlers had nine hits in the second bout, led by Jared Jeffries with three hits and an RBI, followed by Derrick Shaw and Gabriel Rodriguez with two hits apiece.

Miguel Parga (3-2) took the loss for FAMU, despite an ironman performance Sunday. Like fellow mound mate Anthony Espin in the opener, Parga went the distance, turning in a complete game, allowing 10 runs on 10 hits, with two strikeouts in seven innings.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Rattlers will host North Carolina Central in a Friday afternoon doubleheader at Moore-Kittles Field, beginning at 2:00.