HEADLINES
Rattlers drop a pair to Wildcats on the diamond
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 26) - The Florida A&M Baseball team dropped a doubleheader, 6-3 and 7-5 to Bethune-Cookman, here Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Park.
FAMU finished with game high 10 hits, while B-CU tallied seven hits.
The Rattlers were paced by Tobi Adeyemi, Jarryd Reid and Jimmie Terrell as they all finished with two hits each for FAMU.
The Wildcats were led by P.J. Biocic as he finished with a team high three hits.
Jairo Acevedo picked up the win for B-CU as he gave up one hit, one earned run and struck out one in two and one-third innings of relief, while Jordan Dailey (2) picked up the save for the Wildcats.
Heath Blackburn received the loss for FAMU as he gave up seven hits, four earned runs and struck out three in eight innings of work.
B-CU grabbed the early 2-0 lead as Ryan Durrence singled to right field scoring Biocic, followed by a FAMU infielder’s error scoring Peter O’Brien in the bottom of the first inning.
The Wildcats increased their lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the second inning on an O’Brien two-run homer to left field.
Brandon Turner added to the Wildcats' lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as he scored on Biocic's single, increasing B-CU’s lead to 6-0.
FAMU picked up a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to cut B-CU’s lead to 6-2 as Jarryd Reid singled to right field scoring Reginald Grant, followed by a Jimmie Terrell single to third base scoring Adeyemi.
The Rattlers cut the Wildcats’ lead to 6-3 in the top of the seventh inning as Adeyemi, who tripled to center field in his at bat, scored on a Cory Franklin ground out to the shortstop, for the 6-3 final.
In game two, FAMU would grab an early 4-0 lead as Adeyemi scored on a Reid single to center field. Then Justin Abney would hit a bases loaded double to left center scoring Oscar Santalo, Jarryd Reid and Corey Franklin, in the top of the first inning.
FAMU (8-19, 0-2 MEAC) would outhit B-CU (13-13, 2-0 MEAC) 10-5.
B-CU would cut FAMU’s lead 4-3 on an Emmanuel Castro three-run homer to left field in the bottom of the first inning.
Franklin would pace the Rattlers from the plate as he tallied a team high three hits, while Abney drove in a team high four runs.
The Wildcats had five players to finish with one hit each.
Patrick Goelz (2-2) would get the win for B-CU as he gave up four hits, one earned runs and striking out six is four and two-third innings of work, while Tim Jones (1-4) took the loss for FAMU as he left the game early with an injury, giving up one hit, three earned runs and striking out one in two-third innings.
The Wildcats recaptured the lead in the bottom of the second inning on a Biocic three-run double to left field scoring Turner, David Lee and Brashad Johnson, giving B-CU a 6-4 lead.
Nick Johnson increased B-CU’s lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as he homered to left field, giving the Wildcats a 7-4 lead.
Franklin would score the Rattlers final run of the game for the 7-5 final on a Abney single to right field.
The Rattlers will conclude their three game series with Bethune-Cookman on Sunday, March 27 at Jackie Robinson Park in a 1 p.m. start.
