Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 VIDEO:  WRAL feature story by Jared Fialko about Christian Triplett's big day at Fenway

BOSTON – Christian Triplett (Wilkesboro, N.C.) conquered the 37-foot tall Green Monster in left field twice at Fenway Park on Saturday, April 25, but it was not enough as North Carolina Central University came up on the wrong end of a weekend sweep against Florida A&M.

The Rattlers defeated the Eagles 6-3 and 3-1 in a doubleheader on Friday, April 24 at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I., and 9-4 at Fenway Park on Saturday, April 25.  With the results from this weekend, NCCU is now in third place of the Southern Division of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The doubleheader was originally slated to be played at Jim Rice Field in Roxbury, Mass. but playing conditions forced the game to be postponed until a new venue was found.
 NCCU (19-25, 12-11 MEAC) opened the scoring in game one of the doubleheader by loading the bases and forcing home a run on a walk drawn by Conrad Kovalcik (Detroit, Mich.) to go in front 1-0 in the top of the first.

FAMU (17-22, 13-8) responded with a two-run inning in the bottom of the first, leading off with a pair of singles to put runners on the corners.  The Rattlers knotted the score on an attempted squeeze bunt that was fielded well, but the throw was just off-target and that allowed a run to score on an error.  Ryan Kennedy (Merritt Island, Fla.) picked up a true RBI single as the next man up, and that moved FAMU in front 2-1 after the first inning.

The score stayed the same until the top of the fifth inning, where NCCU found a way to get in front.  Triplett tucked one just inside the right field line for a two-RBI double that pushed the Eagles into the lead, 3-2.

The Rattlers snatched the lead right back in the bottom of the sixth inning, using a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt to move a runner into scoring position.  Brian Davis (Pensacola, Fla.) drove in the tying run on an RBI single, and Jared Walker (Tallahassee, Fla.) plated two on a single with the bases full to put FAMU into the lead to stay, 5-3.

Walker also put up the final run of game one on an RBI double for FAMU, with a final score of 6-3.

Game two was a low scoring affair that started with FAMU scoring first this time around.

Walker earned a leadoff walk, and a hit batter allowed AJ Elkins (Ocala, Fla.) to push home the first run of the second game on an RBI single in the bottom of the first.

NCCU used a hustle play in the top of the fourth to pull level, after three consecutive walks with one out for McCrary to step up.  He hit a ground ball up the middle of the infield that looked like it would turn into an inning-ending double play, but McCrary legged out the play and was able to reach first base safely and pick up an RBI to tie the score at 1-1.

FAMU again responded quickly in the bottom of the fourth, as the Rattlers put two aboard with two outs in the inning.  Alec Wong (Rockledge, Fla.) bounced one to the second baseman that would have gotten the Eagles out of the inning, but an errant throw allowed Wong to advance to second, and one run to come around and score to move FAMU in front 2-1, and the Rattlers held the lead from there.

FAMU added one more in a crazy sequence in the bottom of the fifth inning that started with an infield double from Kennedy after a ball got caught in the wind and fell away from the charging infielder while Kennedy hustled around first base and slid into second safely.  A sacrifice bunt moved him to third, and that's when the wild inning really kicked into high gear. A two-out walk put runners on the corners, and with a slim one run lead the Rattlers were thinking aggressively.

FAMU attempted a delayed double steal, and Eagle righty Alex Dandridge (Arlington, Texas) saw it happening and threw home to catch the runner Kennedy between home and third.  James Dey (Charlotte, N.C.) threw to third baseman Eric Kimber (Greensboro, N.C.) to start the rundown and Kimber chased the runner down heading to the plate and dove to apply the tag.  While it appeared Kimber was able to make the play the umpire ruled the runner safe at home, and that put a cap on game two with a final score of 3-1.

Game three at Fenway started off with FAMU threatening to score first in the bottom of the first with runners on second and third, but Devin Sweet (Greensboro, N.C.) was able to get a groundball to get out of the frame unscathed.

Triplett opened the scoring for the afternoon in the top of the second with a two-run homer down the left field line off the foul pole above the Green Monster.  The Rattlers nabbed the lead right back with a two-RBI single from Wong with the bases full to tie, and the first of five pitches to get away from the Eagles brought home the go ahead run to move FAMU in front 3-2 after two.

NCCU knotted the game again in the top of the sixth as Triplett went over the Monster once again with a deep drive to left field, and Theissen picked up an RBI single to level the game at 4-4 after five and a half.

In the bottom of the frame, FAMU took advantage of the Eagles' struggles on the mound and behind the plate, bringing home two runs on wild pitches and a third on a passed ball to regain the lead, 7-4. 

Kennedy finished the game with a two-run blast over the Monster in left-center in the bottom of the eighth to seal the weekend sweep for the Rattlers with a final score of 9-4.

NCCU will have the entire week off for finals before returning to action at Duke on Sunday, May 3 in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.