N.C. Central ends FAMU’s season in MEAC tournament elimination game
MEAC photo by Nick Sutton
Special to the Outlook
NORFOLK, Va. – FAMU’s baseball season came to an end after two close games that followed an opening loss in the MEAC baseball tournament.
The Rattlers beat Delaware State 14-13 in their first elimination game after dropping the opener in the tournament last Friday. Then, later in the day FAMU couldn’t engineer necessary hits to dig out of an early 4-0 hole and fell 5-3 to North Carolina Central 5-3 at Marty L. Miller Field.
The loss ended the Rattlers’ season at 22-34 overall and 15-13 in the MEAC.
In the first elimination game, FAMU held on in a high-scoring marathon to knock Delaware State out of the tournament. The Rattlers took a 14-11 lead into the ninth inning, but a pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Hornets with two outs.
John Weglarz followed with a two-run single to left center, bringing in Tripp Kimmell and Jared Gillis to cut the lead to account for the final score 14-13.
Ben Krizen struck out Trey Paige to end the game and pick up the save.
Early on in the game, the Hornets didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard, pushing across two runs in the top of the first. Miguel Rivera led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a ground-rule double from Paige. Rivera then scored on a Krew Bouldin sac fly before Cole Garey singled home Paige to make it 2-0.
FAMU showed early signs that it would not go away easily with three-runs second inning. Joseph Pierini, Adam Haidermota and Robert Robinson each had run-scoring hits in the inning.
FAMU used a five-run effort in the third inning to go up 8-3. They added two runs in the fifth inning Jared Weber driving in Pierini for the Rattlers’ last run in the inning.
But the Hornets refused to stop chipping away and by the seventh inning trailed 10-7. The Rattlers tacked on a run on their half of the inning. Before the Hornets mounted a four-run output in the top of the eighth to tie the game at 11.
FAMU took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning.
In the second game of the day for the Rattlers, FAMU couldn’t find the offensive firepower it had against the Hornets when they got to the all-MEAC Southern Division elimination game against North Carolina Central.
FAMU was held to three hits, while NCCU scattered six hits.
Trailing 4-0 in the top of the fourth, the Rattlers got on the board when Pierini singled through the right side of the infield, driving Weber around to score.
Down 5-1 in the ninth inning, FAMU drew back-to-back walks to begin the inning. Haidermota loaded the bases with a hard-hit single between first and second base.
Another walk forced in FAMU’s second run. After Lawrence struck out, Moyer was hit by a pitch, driving another run in to score and trim NCCU’s lead to 5-3 with one out.
The Rattler rally came up short, however, as the next two batters struck out.
Josh Hancock (4-8) pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits. He also struck out three batters and walked three.
Jeremiah McCollom was solid in relief, pitching 1 1/3 innings without giving up a hit, while striking out three.
