DI/MEAC/Baseball
Florida A&M Sports Information
Daytona Beach, Fla. – Marlon Gibbs drew a bases loaded walk in the 16th inning to score Jared Walker, as Florida A&M (3-6, 2-1 MEAC) takes the series from Bethune-Cookman (1-11, 1-2 MEAC) with a 6-0 win in game two at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Sunday. The Rattlers would score five more runs in the inning to put the four hour and 17 minute game away. FAMU’s pitching staff combined to record 21 strikeouts in 16 shutout innings for the win. B-CU took game one by a score of 6-2.
Courtesy: Florida A & M Sports Information
Walker and Peter Jackson each went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the offense in game one, while AJ Elkins went 3-for-6 with one RBI. Jackson had three more RBI in game two.
Game two starting pitcher David Ogilvie recorded a season-high nine strikeouts with just one walk in six innings of work in a no decision. Ogilive struck out 5-of-7 batters he faced during the fourth and fifth innings. Cleveland Westbrook and Kenny McDonald also had five strikeouts apiece in the win.
Brandon Fleming (2-0) pitched the final three scoreless innings of relief of game two for the win. Fleming didn’t allow a hit and had two strikeouts with three walks. Alex Carrasco (0-3) took the game one loss after allowing three runs (two earned) in two innings of work with four hits and walked three batters.
The Rattlers quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of game one. Walker led off the Rattler first with a bunt single and advanced to second on a fielding error by second baseman Jameel Edney on the play. Alec Wong’s sacrifice bunt moved Walker to third before Ryan Kennedy’s RBI groundout plated Walker for the first run of the game.
B-CU took its’ first lead of the weekend, at 3-1 and was all they needed, with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Edney opened the home half with a double down the left field line and moved up a base on Nathan Bond’s bloop single into left field. Still with no outs, Mijon Cummings drew a walk to load the bases. Edney came home to tie the game as Clay Middleton grounded out and Bond would score the go-ahead run from third on a passed ball. Cummings later scored the third run of the inning on a sac fly to right by Brandon Wilkes.
FAMU answered with a run in the fifth to make the score 3-2. Jackson singled to right and advanced to third after a pair of groundouts by Robby Jolley and Taylor Strauss. Jackson then scored on Walker’s two out RBI bunt single.
The Wildcats worked the bases loaded on three separate occasions in the home half of the sixth inning and came away with three runs (one earned) on their way to a final score of 6-2 in game one.
Keith Zuniga (1-1) pitched a complete game for B-CU in the first game and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits with three strikeouts.
In game two, after a combined eight scoreless innings, FAMU finally had a chance to take the lead in the ninth inning. Kennedy reached on a throwing error to start the ninth but was out at second after a sacrifice bunt attempt by Jeremy Barlow. Barlow then took second on Michael Birdsong’s groundout. With two outs, Marlon Gibbs singled to left and Barlow came around third trying to score the go-ahead run, but was thrown out at home plate.
The Rattlers had another chance to take the lead in the top of the 10th inning, but failed to bring a run across. With one out, Jackson reached on a fielding error by Edney and Elkins followed with a single to left to put runners on first and second. Both runners advanced a base on Walker’s groundout to third, but Wong grounded out to first that kept the game scoreless.
Bethune also had chance to win the game in the 10th inning as they had runners on second and third with two outs. Demetrius Sims singled with two outs and Bryant Munoz’s single to right pushed Sims to third. Rattler reliever Kenny McDonald then came in to relieve Cleveland Westbrook with two outs and struck out pinch hitter Austin Garcia to end the threat.
B-CU had the bases loaded with two outs in the 13th inning but Wilkes struck out on a 2-2 pitch to end the scoring threat. The Wildcats also had runners on the corners, with two outs, in the 14th inning but Brandon Amendolare grounded out to third to end the 14th.
Florida A&M scored six runs with two outs in the 16th inning for the win at 6-0. Bethune-Cookman walked in the first two runs with the bases loaded. Walker singled to center to lead off the 16th and advanced to second on Wong’s sacrifice bunt. With one out, Kennedy drew a walk and Barlow was hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Birdsong struck out for the second out. In dramatic fashion, Gibbs patient at the plate was walked on a full count to plate Walker from third for what proved to be the game-winner. Jackson added a three-run double and Elkins had an RBI single in the inning to put the game out of reach.
The Rattlers next travel to face Jacksonville at Sessions Field on Tuesday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM.