Marlon Gibbs batted 2 for 5 Sunday in theRattlers’ loss to Jackson State. He also scored two runs. Photo by Vaughn Wilson
Special to the Outlook
FAMU squandered a 9-3 lead as Jackson State (4-3) used a 10-run fifth inning to defeat the Rattlers by a score of 16-9 on Sunday at Bob Braddy Field in Mississippi.
FAMU (3-4) took a six-run lead into the bottom of the fifth inning, but a rough inning by the pitching staff not being able to throw strikes proved costly. The Rattlers walked 10 batters and hit two batters.
FAMU had 14 hits as the offense tried to do its’ part. Alec Wong went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, while Dylan Dillard went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.
Marlon Gibbs (2-for-5) and Brian Davis (2-for-4) each added multi-hit performances for the Rattlers. Gibbs also scored two runs and Davis had three more RBIs, 10 on the weekend, and his second home run of the season.
Rattler reliever Ryan Kopenski (0-1) took the loss as his batter served as the go ahead run in the fifth inning. Kopenski allowed three runs on one hit with two walks. Starter Ricky Page had a strong start, but fell off in the fourth inning. Page allowed three runs on two hits with three walks and one strikeout in 3.2 innings of work. All his runs came in the fourth inning.
FAMU scored first with a run at the top of the first inning for an early 1-0 lead. Gibbs led off the game with a single to center and Wong drew a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. With two outs, Davis’ RBI single scored Wong from third for the first run of the game.
The Rattlers pushed their lead to 5-0 as they scored four more runs on five hits in the third inning. Gibbs reached on an infield single and stole second before scoring on Wong’s RBI double into the left center gap. Wong then advanced to third on Jacky Miles, Jr’s groundout to second. Davis followed with his second home run of the series, a two-run shot to center field. Dillard scored the fourth run of the inning on a balk after he singled, stole second and moved to third on a groundout by Shane Gordon.
