Final Stats

ORMOND BEACH, Fla., May 8, 2019--Florida A&M led by four runs after two innings and was never trailed in a 9-4 victory over Delaware State in the opening round of the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship on Wednesday.

The Hornets will try to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament when they face North Carolina A&T State in a loser’s bracket contest on Thursday at 12 p.m. The Rattlers advanced to take on Northern Division top seed Norfolk State on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Alexis Day and Hera Varmah drove in two runs each to lead the Rattlers’ 13-hit attack. Catcher Jaelyn Baker knocked in two runs to lead the Hornets.

Florida A&M opened the scoring with two runs off DSU starter Brianna Baker in the bottom of the first inning. Day doubled in the first run, while the Rattlers’ second run crossed the plate on a ground out by Candice Boatwright.

FAMU doubled its lead with two runs in the second on a single by Shakay Nixon and a double by Tyra Bowers.

The Hornets got on the board in the third when Calissa Thorne reached base on a strike out and wild pitch to lead off the inning and later scored on a sac fly by Jaelyn Baker to cut the deficit to 4-1.

The Rattlers got the run back in the fourth to again lead by four.

In the Delaware State fifth, Thorne singled to lead off the inning, moved to second on a ground out and  advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out. She scored the Hornets’ second run of the game on a ground out by Jaelyn Baker.

Florida A&M responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to stretch its lead to 7-2.

Delaware State scored two in the top of the sixth to pull to within three. Alexis Roberson singled in the first run of the inning and Thorne drove in the second run when she reached base on a fielder’ choice to cut the Rattlers’ lead to 7-4. The Hornets had the potential tying run at the plate when the inning ended.

Florida A&M added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to close out the scoring.

Boatwright pitched the first five innings to earn the win for the Rattlers.

Brianna Baker was tagged with the loss for DSU. The Hornets managed just five hits in the game, including a double by Jordan Casey for their lone extra base hit.