Rattlers Fall To FGCU In Home Finale
TALLAHASSEE,FL – The Florida A&M Rattlers closed their home season as they were defeated 13-3 and 13-4 by the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in a double-header at Moore-Kittles Field.
Marlon Gibbs, Reginald Grant and Garrett Johnson punched one hit each to account for the only Rattler hits in the first game.
Mike Reeves went a perfect five-for-five from the plate for FGCU, scoring three runs. Brooks Beisner collected four hits for FGCU, also garnering three RBIs. Zack Tillery went deep with a home run to put the game away from the Rattlers.
Javon Johnakin got the start for the Rattlers, going four complete innings, allowing 12 hits, eight runs, three walks and carding two strikeouts. David Duncan came on in relief, going one inning, allowing four runs on five hits, while striking out two batters. Camer-on Sims closed out the game, going the last two innings, allowing four hits and one run in the nine batters he faced.
Brandon Bixler got the win for FGCU, going six innings, allowing just three hits, three runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. Clint Knoblauch came on in relief in the seventh in-ning, striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Game two would be more of the same for the Rattlers, as they were overpowered by the Eagles slugging.
The Rattlers were able to improve, collecting five hits in game two. Kelvin Singletary, Grant, Bennie Robinson, Bryce Farrar, Scott Sheplak and Aaron Smith carded hits for FAMU.
The Rattlers used five pitchers in the game, with the loss going to Brandon Fleming who started the game. Fleming lasted just one and two-third innings, giving up four hits, six runs, six walks and three strikeouts in the 16 batters he faced.
Zack Tillery got the win for the Eagles, as he went three innings, allowing just one hit, one walk and struck out three in the nine batters he faced.
For the complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com.
UMES Comeback Falls Short As Hawks Fall 8-5 To UMBC
CATONSVILLE, Md. - Down five runs after four, UMES scored three runs in the next few innings to get within two but fell short to UMBC 8-5 at the rain-soaked Baseball Factory Field on Wednesday. The Hawks fall to 8-43 while the Retrievers improve to 13-27.
Stephen Bull led off the first with a double to left off UMBC starter Kevin Ladner (4-1). Two batters later, Tre-von Johnson also hit a double to score Bull and give UMES a 1-0 lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the first against UMES starter Chris Lopez, Kevin LaChance doubled and scored the next at bat on an Anthony Gatto single to tie the game.
In the second, UMES struck again to take back the lead. With one out, Joshua James hit a ball over the left fielder's head for a double. After a Connor Breslin single put runners on the corners, James scored on a Tim Gray infield single up the middle to push the Hawks up 2-1.
UMBC tied it up in the bottom of the third after back-to-back doubles by Mark Esposito
and Rob McCabe.
Next inning, the Retrievers rallied for five runs off Hawks reliever Jordan Bone (0-7) with five hits and two errors to take a 7-2 lead.
UMES responded in the following half-inning. After Gray took second on a fielding error by the third baseman and took third on a ground out, Johnson lined a single to left to bring in Gray and get the Hawks closer, down 7-3.
In the top of the seventh with one away, Gray walked and Bull doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Two batters later, Johnson earned his third RBI hit with a two-run line drive single to right to get UMES within two 7-5.
Woods pitched a scoreless seventh, but in the eighth, an Esposito suicide squeeze scored
Vince Corbi to give UMBC an insurance run.
Bull reached base on a line drive single to right in the ninth, but UMES did not get another baserunner and fell to UMBC 8-5.
The win went to Ladner, who pitched six innings with three runs charged. Bone got the
loss with five runs, just four earned, in two innings of relief. UMBC reliever Stephen
Chrzanowski picked up a save, going the final three innings with two runs and three
strikeouts.
Johnson finished the day bringing in four runs and going 3-for-4. Bull went 3-for-5 from
the plate and scored twice.
Leadoff hitter McCabe led UMES with two hits and four at bats and two RBI. Gatto
reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
For the complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com.
Bethune-Cookman Falls to UCF in 4-0 Season Finale Shutout
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (30-23) got themselves into position in Wednesday’s regular season finale at UCF (27-22) but couldn’t come up with the big hit to secure the runs, falling in a 4-0 shutout at Jay Bergman Field.
Only the fourth shutout of the 2013 campaign, the Wildcats threatened and put pressure on the Knights from the first at-bat, with the first two batters reaching. However, UCF’s pitchers shut the door in each inning, leaving the Wildcats with runners stranded in seven of the nine frames.
The Knights applied some pressure of their own, first threatening in the bottom of the third, logging consecutive singles for UCF’s first base hits of the game, but Eric Sams got a great jump on a line drive to produce the double play.
UCF was the first to break the deadlock of the pitcher’s duel, as Tommy Williams’ RBI double deep to the center field wall allowed enough time for a runner to cross and put the Knights in the scorebook, 1-0.
The Wildcats allowed a single run to score in four consecutive innings, capped off by first baseman James Vasquez’ eighth inning leadoff home run to right field against B-CU closer Jordan Dailey, snapping a streak of 46 appearances since the Orlando senior’s last allowed homer.
The Wildcats left eight runners on base against the Knights, with five in scoring position, as B-CU met challenges in situational hitting and tough UCF defense, keeping them from the killstroke to punch in some runs.
Scott Garner (5-5) took the loss, pitching three frames, allowing one earned run and striking out two Knights batters.
Five Wildcats hitters finished with one hit apiece, only barely falling beneath UCF’s six hits.
For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com.
Davidson Breaks Open Tie Game Late To Down Eagles
DAVIDSON, N.C. – With the game tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Davidson used back-to-back home runs to pull away from visiting North Carolina Central University to take the final contest of the regular season 6-4 at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C., sending the Eagles to their fourth straight loss heading into the MEAC Tournament.
In the 11th meeting between these two programs, NCCU took the first lead of the day in the top of the third inning when Cory Williamson drilled his second double of the year down the first base line. Luis Diaz drove in RBI No. 30 on the year with a single up the middle to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Davidson returned the favor in the bottom half of that frame with two outs when leadoff batter David Daniels ripped his fifth double of the year, then Michael Zeblo creamed his sixth home run of the season to right field to give the host Wildcats a 2-1 advantage.
After an Andrew Barna solo shot put Davidson up 3-1 in the fourth, the resilient maroon and gray answered with two runs in the top of the fifth with one out when both Williamson and Hood reached on back-to-back walks when Tyson Simpson doubled down the left field line to make it 3-2, scoring Williamson on the play. Diaz recorded his second RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game at 3-3.
The Wildcats answered right back in the bottom-half of the fifth when Ty Middlebrooks ripped a double and was driven in by Daniels’s first triple of the year to put Davidson back up 4-3. Fortunately for the Eagles, DC managed just one run in the frame as the next three batters popped out leaving Daniels stranded at third.
Moving to the top of the seventh, the maroon and gray swung right back at the Wildcats with one out when Williamson reached base on a Davidson error later advancing to third on Hood’s fourth double of the season. NCCU tied the game at 4-4 later in the frame on Simpson’s RBI groundout.
The final blow of the night was throw in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs when Daniels and Zeblo went back-to-back to stretch the lead to 6-4 and held on from that point to earn the season split and the 6-4 victory over the Eagles.
NCCU (25-27) earned its fourth straight defeat, but was led offensively by Hood and Williamson who went a combined 4-for-7 at-the-plate with four runs scored, and two doubles. Simpson and Diaz both drove in two RBI in the loss.
Davidson (16-30) saw Daniels fall a single shy of the cycle going 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, a double, with two runs scored and two RBI. Zeblo was 2-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI.
For the complete story, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com.