In its first match-up against a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opponent since winning the 2019 MEAC Baseball Tournament, the Florida A&M baseball team defeated North Carolina A&T 4-1 on Friday afternoon at Moore-Kittles Field.
Starting pitcher Josh Hancock (3-3), earned his third consecutive victory, working 6.0 innings, allowing just one run and scattering four hits. Hancock also struck out six A&T batters.
Zach Morea and Ben Krizen worked 3.0 combined innings in relief for the Rattlers. Krizen picked up his first save of the season, giving up one hit through 2.1 innings.
At the plate, FAMU’s Jared Weber went 2-for-3 with one homerun. Tucker also contributed two hits in the winning effort, going 2-for-3 with one run scored.
Weber got the Rattlers off to a quick start, smashing his homerun to left field, giving the Rattlers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
In the third inning, Hancock ran into some trouble when the NCA&T loaded the bases with one out. Hancock worked his way out of the jam, getting a foul pop out behind the plate, and getting an Aggie to strike out swinging.
The Aggies briefly tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning. FAMU responded in the bottom of the inning when Grant Rowell hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Weber.
The Rattlers added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh when freshman Joseph Pierini smoked a double down the third base foul line, bringing Octavien Moyer around to score and give FAMU a 3-1 lead.
JD Tease hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield in the bottom of the eighth to wrap up the scoring for the Rattlers.
Krizen preserved the 4-1 win for the FAMU, retiring three of the final four batters he faced.