Florida A&M Earns First 30-Win Season Since 2003

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M (30-19, 19-5 MEAC) posted its first 30-win season since 2003 after sweeping Saturday’s doubleheader over North Carolina A&T State (13-41, 6-18 MEAC) by scores of 12-2 and 7-2 at Moore-Kittles Field.

The 30-win season is also just the third for FAMU since becoming a Division I program in 1980. The Rattlers tallied 39 runs and totaled 48 hits in the three-game series with N.C. A&T State. On Senior Day, senior left fielder Marlon Gibbs belted his first-career grand slam to end game one by mercy rule.

With double digit hits in all three games this weekend, FAMU finished the regular season with 10+ hits in 28-of-49 (57-percent) games. Gibbs went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and five RBI in game one, while Ben Ellzey finished game one going 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBI. In game two, five different Rattlers had multi-hit performances as Brian Davis (2-for-3), Dylan Dillard (2-for-3), Jacky Miles, Jr. (2-for-2), Ellzey (2-for-3) and AJ Elkins (2-for-3) all had two hits in the game. Elkins had a double and a triple and tied a career-high with three RBI. Alec Wong and Davis each had home runs in game two as Florida A&M totaled 14 extra base hits in Saturday’s two games.

JoJo Durden (2-2) earned the game one win for FAMU after pitching a complete game and allowing just two runs as N.C. A&T State scattered five hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Chase Jarrell (6-3) picked up the win in game two as he worked six innings and allowed two runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

 Florida A&M travels to the MEAC Baseball Tournament next week as the overall No.1 seed out of the Southern Division and will face the winner between North Carolina Central and Delaware State on Friday, May 20, at 12:00 PM.

For complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com

Rodriguez Lifts Bethune-Cookman Past Savannah State

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Danny Rodriguez went 3-for-5, including a game-tying three run homer and Alex Seibold threw 5.2 innings of shutout relief  as Bethune-Cookman downed Savannah State 6-5 in its regular season finale Saturday.

Michael Cruz doubled home Demetrius Sims in the seventh for the go-ahead run that helped the Wildcats (25-25 overall, 18-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) take their seventh consecutive conference series since dropping the conference opening series at Florida A&M.

Seibold scattered three hits, walked one and struck out five Tiger (12-40, 7-17) batters as he helped Bethune-Cookman erase a 5-2 deficit.

Seibold improved to 4-4 on the season, with all of his wins coming in conference play and three in his last three league relief appearances. The five strikeouts were a season high and the most for the sophomore since fanning 10 against Norfolk State at the MEAC tournament last year.  

For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com