TAMPA, Fla. – Florida A&M (7-9, 4-2 MEAC) fell to South Florida (11-6-1) 10-5 at the USF Baseball Stadium on Friday night. The Rattlers scored four runs in the ninth inning but it was a little too late.
AJ Elkins belted his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the second inning for FAMU. Alec Wong went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI. South Florida scored all 10 runs in the first three innings. Bulls catcher Levi Borders was responsible for six runs as he had two three-run home runs in back-to-back at bats.
Rattlers starting pitcher David Ogilvie (1-2) gave up eight runs on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout for the loss.
USF jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after a two-out, three-run, home run from Levi Borders. Austin Lueck led off the inning with an infield single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch with one out. Kyle Teaf and Luke Borders then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases before Buddy Putnam’s sac fly to center plated Lueck for the first run of the game and Teaf advanced to third. With two outs, Borders cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left.
FAMU got on the board in the top of the second as Elkins hit his first home run of the season off Bulls starter Jimmy Herget. Elkins home run was a solo home run to left, to make the score 4-1. The home run was the first Herget had allowed this season.
The Bulls increased their lead to 5-1 with a run in the second inning. Luke Maglich led off the inning with a roped single into right field, stole second and went to third on a groundout from Zac Gilcrease. Maglich would come home to score on Lueck’s RBI single to left field.
South Florida added five more runs in the bottom of the third inning to push its’ lead to what proved to be the final score of 10-1. Teaf singled and stole second, while Luke Borders was hit-by-pitch to place runners on first and second with no outs. Putnam’s double plated Teaf and with runners on second and third Levi Borders hit his second three-run home run of the game for a score of 9-1. Gilcrease’s RBI single scored Daniels Portales for the 10th run.
The Rattler bats came alive in the ninth inning as they scored four runs on five hits in the inning, but it was too late. Brian Davis singled up the middle and Kendal Weeks drew a pinch-hit walk before Taylor Strauss singled to load the bases with one out. Robby Jolley’s RBI single through the left side scored Davis from third and kept the bases loaded with one out. Wong cleared the bases with a three-run double to center.
South Florida starter Jimmy Herget (4-0) earned the win for the Bulls after working five innings and allowed just one run on four hits. Herget had eight strikeouts and walked two.
FAMU and USF continue the three-game series on Saturday at 6:30 PM at the USF Baseball Stadium. Sophomore RHP Chase Jarrell (1-1) will be on the mound for the Rattlers.