Rattlers Sweep Tigers With 11-7 Finale
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Junior Ryan Kennedy went 4-for-5, including a grand-slam to key a six-run, fifth-inning rally as Florida A&M defeated Savannah State 11-7 and completed a three-game sweep of the defending MEAC champions.
Jordan Montague (2-0) recorded the win for FAMU in relief of freshman Matthew Schaeffer who allowed three runs on three hits, striking out three in four innings of work. Montague allowed three runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings and Brandon Fleming struck out the side in the ninth inning to close out the game and complete the series sweep.
Fleming closed out all three victories, tossing four scoreless innings, allowing two hits with one walk and six strikeouts. FAMU banged out 12 hits off four Savannah State pitchers, led by Kennedy, catcher Jeremy Barlow (3-for-5) and center fielder Blake Quillin (2-for-4). Quillin had a double and drove in four runs.
The win improved the Rattlers overall record to 6-10, 3-3 in MEAC play - and left them one game behind MEAC Southern Division leader Bethune Cookman, which lost its weekend series to North Carolina Central to fall to 4-2 in conference play.
FAMU will travel to Fort Myers next for a three-game, non-conference series against Florida Gulf Coast University next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com or www.ssuathletics.com
Hornets improve to 7-2 with doubleheader sweep of St. Peter’s
DOVER, Del. --- Delaware State scored nine runs in the fifth inning to highlight a 13-7 win over St. Peter’s in game one of a doubleheader at Soldier Field today. The Hornets won the nightcap 8-6 to complete the sweep.
DSU has won seven of its last eight games to stand at 7-2 this season.
In the opener, Delaware State trailed 3-0 before the fifth inning explosion. The Hornets sent 16 batters to the plate in the inning, which featured eight hits, three for extra bases.
The big blow in the inning was the first career homer by Rich Rodriguez, a three-run shot to right center, to give the Hornets a 6-3 lead. Cameron Cecil singled in two runs, while Eddie Sorondo (double), DJ Miller (single) and Charles Dailey (single) also had run-scoring hits in the frame.
After St. Peter’s scored two runs in the top of the eighth to pull to within 9-5, the Hornets tacked on four runs in the bottom of the inning to stretch their lead.
Aaron Nardone had a two-run single in the eighth to give DSU an 11-5 lead. Sorondo singled in his second run of the game in the eighth.
The Hornets had 14 hits in the opener, with five players collecting two hits each.
Rodriguez was two-for-four with three RBI. Cecil, Nardone and Sorondo also had two hits and two RBI in the contest.
Miller was two-for-four with a run batted in, while Charles Dailey had a hit and two RBI.
Delaware State starter Matt McClain (2-0) pitched seven innings to earn the win. He allowed nine hits and three runs, while striking out four without allowing a walk.
Rob Moore smacked a three-run homer for St. Peter’s in the opener.
In the nightcap, the Hornets scored five runs in the fourth to open up a 7-1 lead.
Miller doubled in a run, while Mitchell Moore and Ron Farley had run-scoring singles in the fourth for the Hornets. DSU also scored a run on a wild pitch and hit batsman in the inning.
Farley was three-for-four in the nightcap, while Cecil, Moore and Miller had two hits each.
Starter George Michael (2-0) was the winning pitcher for the Hornets in game two. He allowed five hits and five runs-two earned-in 5.1 innings.
Miller was four-for-eight with three RBI in the doubleheader to raise his season average to .483.
Farley is batting .450 for the season after tallying four hits in five at-bats in the twin-bill.
Cecil also had four hits (4-9) in the two games.
The Hornets and Peacocks will wrap up their three-game series with a single game on Monday (Mar. 10) at 3 p.m. at Soldier Field.
Delaware State has also announced that it will host Penn for doubleheader on Tuesday (Mar. 11), starting at noon.
The teams were originally scheduled to play single games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
For complete story, www.dsuhornets.com
Eagles storm back to take series from Wildcats
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – Trailing 4-0 in the sixth inning, the resilient Eagles of North Carolina Central University plated six runs in the frame, then used solid defense to pull the major upset over the perennial MEAC power, beating Bethune-Cookman 7-4 in the rubber match, winning the series two games to one on Sunday afternoon inside Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The victory marks the first-ever series win for the Eagles over the Wildcats on the diamond as B-CU has held a commanding advantage over the since the maroon and gray joined the MEAC.
After a scoreless top of the first inning, Bethune-Cookman plated the first runs of the day with three runs on three hits, highlighted by an Eric Sams RBI double to left centerfield, to give the Wildcats the early 3-0 lead.
B-CU took a 4-0 lead in the second inning on a leadoff triple down the leftfield line by Zach Olszewski, who later scored on a wild pitch.
After two innings, B-CU led NCCU 4-0, and already had amassed four hits on the day. From that point forward freshman lefty Andrew Wilson (Pilot Mountain, N.C.) settled in and shut down the vaunted Wildcat lineup as he allowed just two more throughout the rest of his outing.
Heading into the sixth inning, the maroon and gray offensive attack had recorded one hit, but the Eagles came alive in that frame to the tune of six runs on five hits aided along by two Wildcat errors. Senior Carter Williamson’s (Roanoke, Va.) double to right center field, drove in two runs, while freshman leftfielder Bryant Battle (Greenville, N.C.) ripped a triple to centerfield as NCCU snatched a 6-4 advantage over B-CU heading into the bottom of the sixth.
After a 1-2-3 Wildcat sixth frame, senior Tyson Simpson’s (Burgaw, N.C.) sacrifice fly added another run on the manual scoreboard at the Jack and put the maroon and gray up 7-4.
NCCU’s solid defense along with Wilson and sophomore Andrew Vernon’s (Raleigh, N.C.) solid pitching was all the Eagles needed to hang on for the 7-4 win to clinch the series.
Wilson (1-1) earned his first collegiate victory and he did in impressive fashion, surrendering four runs on six hits in 7.2 innings, most of which came in the first two innings as he finished with two strikeouts. Vernon earned his first save of the year going 1.1 innings with two strikeouts.
Battle was the lone Eagle to record multiple hits going 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI, while both Simpson and Williamson recorded two RBI apiece in the win.
NCCU (5-9-1, 3-3 MEAC) will look to added to its current two-game winning streak on Wednesday, March 12 beginning at 2:00 p.m. as the Eagles battle Coppin State on the road in doubleheader action from Joe Cannon Stadium in Hanover, Md.
For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.bcuathletics.com