CLEARWATER, Fl. — The Florida A&M University softball team dropped a pair of tightly-contested games at the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational on Friday afternoon, falling to Army, 12-9 in the opening game, a 7-5 to Providence in the second game.
Game 1 – Army 12, Florida A&M 9
The opening game was a slugfest as 21 runs were scored on 26 hits, with the ladies from West Point scoring 12 runs on 15 hits, barely holding off a surging FAMU squad, which tallied nine runs on 11 hits.
Army (9-8) scored six runs in the top of the second to build an 8-0 lead, adding a tally in the top of the third for a 9-0 edge.
FAMU (2-14) struck back in the bottom of the third, scoring six runs on five hits, powered by two-run doubles from Destiny Cuevas and Jamesia Stoudemire to close to 9-6.
Both clubs scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, as Army held an 11-8 advantage. FAMU tallied a single run in the sixth, and Army closed out the scoring with a tally in the top of the seventh.
Stoudemire led the FAMU hit parade with four hits and three RBIs. Alexis Blasingane had two hits and an RBI, while Cuevas drove in a pair of runs.
Nadia Zenteno (1-4) got the start, but only lasted into the second, when she was chased after giving up five runs on three hits with one strikeout. Kyaira Brown came on in relief, allowing seven runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts against no walks over the final six innings.
Game 2 – Providence 7, Florida A&M 5
The Lady Rattlers took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run homer by Keynamari Jones, but Providence tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
FAMU took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Seriah Brokenborough scored on a throwing error, then they extended their lead to 5-2 on a two-run single by Destiny Cuevas in the top of the fifth.
Providence (4-8) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to close to 5-4, then won the game in the bottom of the seventh on a three-run homer by Tiana Wren.
Cuevas and Melkayla Irvis each had two hits for FAMU, with Cuevas drove in a pair of runs, along with the two RBIs from Jones. Brokenborough, Boatwright and Yurie Hampton each had a hit as well.
Nadia Zenteno (1-5) took the loss in relief of starter Gabriella Williams, who worked four innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and a strikeout. Zenteno worked the final two a two-thirds, allowing five runs on three hits with three walks.
WHO'S ON DECK
Florida A&M will face Seton Hall at 11:30 a.m. and Western Michigan at 2 p.m. during the second day of the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational. The Lady Rattlers close the tournament on Sunday with a 2 p.m. game against UT-Chattanooga.
