TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – North Carolina Central University out-hit Florida A&M University 10-7, but the Rattlers were able to outscore the Eagles 6-4 to take the weekend sweep at Moore-Kittles Field on Sunday, April 4.
FAMU (18-9, 8-1 MEAC) hit the board with back-to-back doubles from Dylan Dillard (Kissimmee, Fla.) and Brian Davis (Pensacola, Fla.) who brought home the first two runs to put the Rattlers in front 2-0 after the first inning.
NCCU (13-17, 5-7) was able to get runners in scoring position in multiple innings, but weren't able to bring in a run until the top of the fourth on an RBI single from
Jacobi Harris (Pittsboro, N.C.). The Eagles were able to tie the game on a seeing-eye single from
Christian Triplett (Wilkesboro, N.C.) and that moved the score to 2-2.
The Rattlers moved back in front on an RBI double from Willis McDaniel (Tallahassee, Fla.) and then a pinch-hit sacrifice fly put FAMU ahead 4-2 through six innings.
Carlos Ortiz (Cleveland, Ohio) set up a dramatic finish to the afternoon after rocketing a solo homer to right field, his sixth of the year.
Triplett came up with a two-out walk in the top of the eighth, and
Sisqo Scott (Hampton, Va.) was brought in as a speed option to pinch run. He took off for second on the next pitch and got all the way to third on a throwing error from the catcher, but was stranded there after Kendal Weeks (Quincy, Fla.) came up with a critical strikeout to end the frame.
Both sides went into another high pressure situation in the bottom of the frame as the Rattlers loaded the bases and got two runs forced home on consecutive walks to move the advantage to 6-3 going to the final inning.
Ellington Hopkins (Lansing, N.Y.) led off the inning with a walk, and a two-out single from Ortiz put runners on the corners to bring the tying run to the plate, and then
Zachary Marszal (Cary, Ill.) walked to put the bases loaded.
Conrad Kovalcik (Detroit, Mich.) walked in a run to bring the Eagles closer, but a flyout ended the game to give the Rattlers the weekend sweep.
NCCU will be on the road again on Tuesday evening, April 5 at Longwood University before returning home on Wednesday, April 6 to host Virginia State University. Those games will be carried live on the NCCU Sports Network available at NCCUEaglePride.com, and live Twitter updates can be found by following @NCCUAthletics.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.